


Road Trip [Full Story]

by Nephane_Denella



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gay, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse, only chapter one and two are mature
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-24 15:46:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 74,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15633771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nephane_Denella/pseuds/Nephane_Denella
Summary: Nothing screams summer more than camping trips and fraternizing, so Isaac can't resist an invitation to the seniors' post-commencement camping trip.The worst he expected was a confrontation with Manny, a complicated lover from the past, maybe unauthorized hazing incidents, but not people turning cannibalistic overnight. Waking up from a near-death experience, Isaac must quickly accept Manny's wish to stay safe and by his side to through the hell that has broken loose overnight. As an unidentifiable infection stretches across North America, Isaac must begrudgingly accept Manny's wish to keep him and his traumatized twin, Gabriel, safe.Kenneth, a man who claims to be Manny's bodyguard, reveals that he is aware of Isaac and Gabriel's involvement in the Witness Protection Program. Isaac no longer believes that the virus spreading is natural and that Manny and Kenneth must have been involved in his and Gabriel's isolation from their town. Isaac quickly decides that he isn't going to follow Manny and Kenneth to clean up the government's mess. Instead, he suggests that they head to the West Coast."Think of it as a road trip."





	1. Goodbye, Summer Break

**Author's Note:**

> Only chapters one and two mature at the moment
> 
> From Wattpad:  
> Hey everyone, my name is Nephane Denella (or Nel) and although I am not new to writing online, I am new to writing on Wattpad. I started on fanfiction.net and each time I came back for a "hiatus" (which was a lie, sue me) I made a new name because I thought I would start writing again. I wasn't... Eventually, I began reading stories on Archive of Our Own and Wattpad and I realized that I wanted to write stories of my own again. So, I became anxious to start writing over the past year and I decided to execute at least one idea: Road Trip. I don't expect my work to be perfect, so constructive criticism and over all reactions to the piece are appreciated! And trust me, I'm catching mistakes everyday, but I will pick a time where I revise the whole story!
> 
> My aesthetic: I prefer writing stories that are long because short chapters kind of underwhelm me, but I also want a balance between long and short chapters. I am mostly interested in drama/horror/thriller/suspense, but I also want to contrast these kinds of stories with lighter themed stories with humor/romance and other genres of the sort. For example: While I am revising Road Trip, I will also be writing a story about a moment in time where a college freshman struggled with a past relationship and opening to a new one.
> 
> Forgive me if I make rookie mistakes, but please support me throughout the process and I really appreciate advice. I'm actually both nervous and excited about Road Trip and It Started with Tears.
> 
> Disclaimer: All of these characters are mine and the plot is mine, as far as I am concerned (though zombie apocalypses aren't mine). This is a work of fiction. Please do not steal my work as I reserve all rights to the piece.
> 
> For AO3:  
> I'm trying to get more eyes on my work. I defineitly think that people in AO3 could be more responsive than people on Wattpad (lol). Right now, I'm trying my hardest to get this story done by the end of the summer--or the end of my summer because I have another project I plan on spending the whole year on. So, I really hope you enjoy what I have so far pre-revised.

The heat coursing through Isaac's body was intense, exhilarating, yet scary at the same time. It was a rush from being lifted off the leaf-littered grounds, pressed against cool, smooth wood, to shaky breaths being devoured. He bit his lips and ground down into hot, hard body, moaning in appreciation as his hands trailed down thick amber biceps to forearms to hands with hairs bristled on knuckles. Calloused palms roamed Isaac's body, following a path they've long since memorized. They squeezed Isaac's hips, above already irritated skin in the form of large faded hand marks; those had yet to heal, and Isaac only smirked as his lover's hands paused over the bruises. They made eye contact, seductive brown to a hooded and intense green and Isaac felt giddy, catching the jealousy in those eyes. His lover pressed against the fading marks, establishing his own as Isaac gasped and shivered from the sensitivity elicited from the action. His legs squeezed the waist they were wrapped around, not meek, but demanding more.

Those hands were hot, hotter than his own body and Isaac was under the impression that he was being branded. The thought made him laugh breathy as he grabbed onto his lover's body, frustrated and pulling at the clothes separating their bodies. Isaac let out a sharp yelp and moaned when his long brown locks were pulled at, hair tie disposed of in the process. He mewled as he was pushed harder into the cabin, which must have been recently renovated because the wood didn't groan against their pushing. He wasn't surprised to see that the hickey on his neck was being glared at like it didn't belong there. It shouldn't belong there. He bared his neck more, bold, unashamed, as his silent message seemed to get across: fix it. He slipped his hand up the nape of his lovers' neck until he reached tufts of curly brown hair and gripped, simultaneously being bitten. It was possessive and he loved it. His eyes focused on the swaying trees and dark sky as his head was pulled further back to lock eyes with the man above him.

Isaac huffed and rolled his eyes, "If you're going to get possess--"

Any other comment was cut off by a squeeze of the hands around his waist. He expected to hear a possessive, you're mine, but appreciated it when his lover just showed it through his actions. He agreed desperately to those unspoken words when hands slipped under his sweater, hips forced to press into his lover's erection. He frowned when the friction was quickly gone. Sure, he didn't mind playing along, but at this point his playful streak was running thin; he was just ready to check off 'fucking in the forest' off his bucket list and like hell he'd let anymore foreplay buffer that out any longer. When Isaac tired hurrying to take his clothes off, cropped sweater awkwardly raised to reveal his flat stomach and his shorts unbuttoned, he was taken off guard when a hand caressed his chin, bringing one his hair behind his freckled ear. It was an excuse to drag Isaac's face to his.

"Manny, stop." Isaac locked eyes with his lover and he tensed, nervous. Richard's hand was growing heavy on Isaac's face and he was staring with a hunger--this one different from before--that Isaac wasn't willing to satisfy. Not with him nor anyone else. Isaac hurriedly pressed his hand against the other's chest, forcing his chin free, pushing their faces apart.

Isaac cursed. Richard blinked after hearing his pet name again, but tensed when Isaac continued, "Didn't know I was about to fuck Prince Charming. Last time I checked--we're in a forest. Kind of expected this to be, you know, dirty."

Dark eyes bore into hazel, then scanned the rest of Isaac's face. Isaac didn't want to think about what was being revealed behind that cracked mask.

"What, were you expecting something to change?" He ignored the deep voice that whispered his name and instead demanded to be let down. He felt his lover tense and look behind him. Isaac quickly glanced back and demanded to be put down again.

"What a fucking turn off." Isaac snapped, pushing Richard back and got down, fixing himself and swatting at a mosquito, annoyed. He expected to hear a comment about exhibition, but shrugged it off and smiled as he started walking towards the tall stolid man donned in the letterman similar to the one Richard was picking up.

"Isaac, wait."

Isaac ignored him.

"Didn't know you were expecting anymore company, Manny. You really were trying to get dirty."

"I wasn't." Isaac rolled his eyes at the man's response, not bothered to turn back around. Isaac tilted his head, confused at to why the man hadn't said anything yet. He stopped walking, since Isaac wasa meeting him half the way. The moon was covered by a sheet of clouds above as the man stood under the trees in the clearing. The only light shining down on the forest floor revealed a golden Rolex on the man's wrist.

"Wow, Josh," Isaac smiled, "if Stace sent you, then good timing. I was kinda getting tired of old company." Isaac attempted to cosy up Josh's arm, but a faint metallic smell made him recoil. Red flags were going off in his head. He backed up, probably subconsciously listening to Richard's request to get back now. Josh, the usually loud, troublesome, party-head jock Isaac knew just continued to stand stock-still. Even worse was the dramatic conceal of the shadow around his chest, up. Isaac gripped his arms through his cropped hoodie, a poor attempt to protect himself from the cool breeze. So much for dressing to impress.

"Holy shit, dude, did someone shank you? What are you guys on?"

Isaac wasn't one to judge. Not really. The seniors were having an all out before commencement and he wanted to be part of that fun and hanging out with the seniors meant nearly anything appropriate for camping was thrown out his luggage despite his brother's inspection. Isaac swore as he vehemently swatted another bug away from his chilled legs. Isaac stopped swatting at the mosquito and froze. Something didn't add up. Josh was bleeding somewhere but he wasn't groaning in pain. It was too normal. Too calm. Then Josh started walking towards him.

"We're leaving." Isaac realized that Richard was now besides him and ushering him away, but Isaac looked back. Josh wasn't moving. Isaac frowned as he noticed that Josh's skin looked bruised and its usually tanned appearance was a pasty grey.

Isaac stared and frowned at Richard as they hurried into the forest. His steps were hurried and Isaac couldn't tell if he should have felt angry or annoyed or scared. Richard wasn't saying anything. He just continued to lead them into the darkness. It wasn't long before they both heard another set of footsteps.

"Am I supposed to be freaked out right now?" Isaac looked behind himself. No. Those steps were coming towards them. More than one pair. Isaac felt a shiver run down his spin when he heard a animalistic growl. That was enough for Richard to tell him to run back to camp.

"Seriously?"

Richard picked up a branch nearest him as someone approached him. He wasn't joking. Isaac's eyes widened when their attacker's face appeared in the light, mouth agape, eyes sullen. Their face was meaning. What was left of it.

Isaac quickly turned around, but he soon regretted closing his eyes because he couldn't connecting spelching sound and scream to the scene finishing behind him. It didn't take him long to make it back to the cabin at the clearing where Josh still stood. His panicked footfalls softened, but they still seemed to jostle Josh out of his stupor and he let out an animalistic growl. He then lifted his hand, a viscous red liquid dripping down it as viscara gleaned from where a few fingers should have been, revealed by the moonlight peeking through sweeping trees. That was only the damage Isaac could see outside of the jacket. Isaac's nerve fired as his eyes narrowed, but before he could run back, he heard a large shout and a struggle, blows against skin, followed by another growl. His heart rate picked up as he directed his attention back to the spot he was just at, eyes going wide in terror. There was a long dark object in Richard's hands, something dripping from it over a motionless body obscured from the shadows.

"Look out!" Both Isaac and Richard bristled at each other's shout. Richard turned around to the person running up behind him.

Isaac let his eyes off Josh long enough for the jock to lunge at him. Isaac's heart rate picked up as he haphazardly threw his leg up in an upward, round motion, kicking Josh square in the jaw with the heel of his Converse. He winced at the impact, losing his balance. Josh barely moved, but he did stumble back. Isaac took that as a moment of weakness and quickly grabbed the dirt for traction. He moved to pull himself up and towards Richard, but suddenly Josh charged and grab him around his waist and haul him up. He was too shocked to hear his name being shouted once more. His eyes were blurry and the air escaped his smaller frame. His hands gripped Josh's forearms, but quickly recoiled from the gore. The sensation of his nails scratching the cool leather of Josh's letterman was the least of Isaac's concerns was dulled compared to the ache in his midsection. The grip around his chest wasn't letting up and his legs flailed now as he succumbed to panic. Josh's mouth neared his neck and Isaac whimpered as he was forced back pressed to the larger man's chest. He froze. He's not breathing. Holy shit he-e's not... Isaac closed his eyes. He couldn't stop the tears streaming down his face as Josh's bloodied hand, his intact one, gripped his neck and exposed more flesh.

Isaac felt their connected bodies lose balance and jerk abruptly, as if Josh had been struck by something. For a moment Isaac blinked his teary eyes, darkening vision focusing on a thick branch floating above him.

What?

His heart speed up as he felt something wet was trickling down his neck and soaking his hoodie from the back, the corners of his vision flashing red then grey and white. His ears were ringing. It was as if time stopped and he could feel nothing but his life on a thin string, pain searing his stomach and something trickling down his back.

Something crawling on his skin.

Something wet dripped on his face, pulling him back from unconsciousness. Suddenly his knees were hurting and his cheek was cold. He was on the ground, staring up at a branch, dripping with a red substance, a drop of which landed on his cheek. He smelled it. His eyes trailed down the hand gripping the other end of the stick. Richard reclaimed his extended hand and straightened himself. Isaac's breath hitched as he struggled breathing. He couldn't scream, but Josh was doing it for him. He could hear those wails of agony now, as if his ears were a television and the volume was increasing. They were wounded wails. Wet wails. Josh gripped the branch impaled in his eye, throwing his head back. It sounded as if he were drowning, gurgling up the rest of his life.

Finally, he collapsed.

 

When Isaac came to, he was gazing at the mirror image of himself. There was some shouting and some movement around him. He felt the relief painted on his twin's face.

"Gabe?" There were bags underneath Gabriel's eyes; his brown freckles contrasted against his pale face, his silky lavender locks disheveled, and panicked expression made Isaac smile and comment non-too politely on how his brother looked like shit. Gabriel didn't laugh though. Nor did he reproach him like he usually did. He just bit his wobbling lips and held onto Isaac, shaking his head. Isaac's brows furrowed as watched Gabriel's brown eyes swim, face grim. That expression genuinely scared Isaac. It was then that Isaac jolted up, causing the people around him--when did they get to him?--to gawk in concern.

Isaac turned around until he noticed two figures near the landing of the spiraling staircase. He felt his nerves calm as he noticed that Richard was nearly unscathed, but when their eyes met, Isaac only dignified Richard with a glare. Isaac's face softened. Something was wrong. Richard was talking to someone Isaac didn't recognize. He must have been another one of Richard's college buddies, but they contrasted starkly. They were around the same height, same build, but the other guy was leaner, paler. He didn't look like he'd fit in with Richard's crowd, but he looked just as serious as Richard, if not more. I can read you, asshole.

That's when he smelled it. Blood. It was an unwanted smell which flooded his nostrils, causing him to gag and bunch his sleeve in his fist and place it on his nose and mouth. His heart rate speed up again. He was so on edge that he couldn't gauge the somberness of the room until he stood and bumped into a hard body.

"Calm down. You'll go into shock again." He turned around and stared up at Richard, moving back so he wouldn't have to crane his neck as much. Isaac felt warmth shifting off his shoulder and gripped Richard's letterman with his other fist.

Not a prank. He released his fist, the stretched out material straining back to place over his wrist, and dropped his hand to reveal a gaping mouth. No sounds were coming out. This was a bit too intense to be a joke--too intense to be a dream. His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes moved back and forth, searched Richard's usually calm face, red patches on the side of his neck, bleeding into the collar of his polo. Isaac scrunched up his nose as Richard leaned closer and tapped the pocket of his jacket that Isaac was loosely wearing. It slipped off more, so Isaac decided to remove it and take out the phone.

Without service in this area, he couldn't do anything else other than check the time. It was five in the morning. Isaac had left the main campsite, bored around nine. It didn't take Richard long to find him after that. They must have been huddled in here since midnight. He was out for about 3 hours by now. He sighed and decided to stand up for the first time in what probably was hours, but Gabriel only stiffened and urged him to sit down. This only fueled Isaac's determination. As he stood, he surveyed the room. There were barricades around the doors and what was large enough to cover windows, like shelves, blocked those. Curtains were drawn for one window near the door. Around 16 people were huddled around the center of the room, including those closest to Isaac by the front door. Isaac's eyes couldn't help, but be drawn near the dark figure by the stairs right where Richard had spoken to him. He didn't look like a complete wreck, if that didn't make him stick out anymore. Then he saw the blood.

"Whose blood is that?"

Isaac stepped back when he noticed the sticky pool of red behind Gabriel. Isaac's heart skipped a beat when he gave Gabriel a once over. There were trails of blood on his pale cheeks, some piled up in the bed of nails, as if he freaked out and failed in cleaning his face and got the rest everywhere. But that blood was also long since dry.

The tears rolling down his face wetted the blood, causing pink trails to streak down his face where his tears met the splotches of blood. His eyes were blotchy, nose red. Gabriel only continued to sit with one of his hands behind his back. Gabriel was holding someone hand.

Isaac hastily removed the sheet from the form's head and recoiled when he saw who it was.

"Holy shit, Ashton--" Isaac felt himself about to retch, but held back whatever the hell he had in his stomach from last night.

Ashton's blond locks were sticking everywhere, his face deathly white and lips blue. His face wasn't scrunched up in fear, but it was calm, still--that bothered Isaac more than he'd like to think. Isaac put his hand onto Gabriel's best friend's hand, which Gabriel was currently holding onto for dear life. It was cold. The current room temperature wasn't really warm to begin with, as that cabin was cold. The generators must be off.

Isaac cursed again as he felt his knees resist his attempt to stand. What hadn't soak into the wood was sticking onto his skin, making his stomach reconsider giving up his last meal. He became hyper-aware of everyone clumsily chatting and he realized that he hadn't been asking the important question.

What is going on?

Ashton's hand had been brutally amputated and there was a blood-soaked cloth around the stub that replaced his hand. His hand itself hadn't moved too far. There was large festering bite-mark surrounded by an expansion of yellow, black, and blue skin. Isaac couldn't tell if it was a rabid animal. Isaac slumped back down, hand covering his mouth as tears streamed down his face. He couldn't help but curse again, resisting the urge to gaze as his brother's crestfallen face again.

There was sudden banging coming from the back of the desolate cabin, causing people to shriek. Then there were gunshots and sounds of struggle and those growls. What kind of trouble were they in? How did people get here? Where did Richard go? Isaac was coaxing Gabriel away from the body when heavy footsteps and creaking wood alerted everyone that two people were descending the steps. Isaac hadn't noticed that Richard left.

"It's time to go. We aren't going to be able to hold out in here anymore." Richard was handing a rifle to one of the other men in the cabin. Isaac was too busy getting Gabriel to get up, anxious to fight his way out of whatever the hell they had gotten themselves into, to notice the body crouching besides Ashton's body.

"Please--" Isaac's heart skipped a beat as he watched Gabriel's body fall limply as he was gently struck across a pressure point. Gabriel fell into the stranger's arms, who picked him up. His lavender curls were disheveled and his pale cheeks and freckles glowed surrendered by his unhealthy flush. He looked so helpless. Isaac growled at bristled and glared at Richard who stood in between him and the stranger carrying Gabriel off.

"A friend."

"A friend." Isaac pursed his lips in distaste. As if that was the right way to handle a distressed person.

More banging. Isaac opened up the curtain near the front door. Nothing. He moved to the back. Panic raised in Isaac's chest as he heard a gunshot. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the forest wasn't completely black. He could barely see figures moving around and heard a gun fire again. Isaac pursed his lips in thought. That gun was one of the emergency rifles locked up in the staff cabins. He cursed and shook his head, repeating to himself again and again and again that this was real.

Richard moved him back from window and Isaac frowned as he was led up the stairs.

"Quite frankly, Richard," Isaac forcefully moved his arm out of Richard's grip, "I don't feel like talking right now." Isaac couldn't move with Richard holding his face, however, closing him against the wall. He jumped when Richard moved up to his face, serious and emotionless. The kiss after was anything, but. Richard stared into Isaac's eyes. They were so close that it was only right to whisper.

"Gabe and you are not going to get hurt. It's better that he's out. Otherwise, we wouldn't know how to control him when were out there."

"Against, what, exactly?" Isaac ran out of fight, feeling smaller than he already is. "Josh--" Isaac interrupted up looking at Richard then at everyone else, "J-Josh wasn't breathing."

"I know that you just woke up. You're disoriented. All I need from you, is to listen to me and to stick to me, regardless of what goes on." You are safe. Isaac didn't know what to expect. He woke up in some fuck-up reality, for a lack of better terms, and was expected to listen to the first set of instructions and go with it. But those eyes told him that he's safe. Richard's hold made him feel safe. He tried to read Richard with more fever, but got nothing. Isaac shivered as swore that he could feel blood pouring down his back. He closed his eyes and pushed down the trauma. The feelings. He couldn't afford to be an obstacle if Gabriel was at risk too.

"Don't think that tactic will work on me anymore."

"I trust you to keep your cool."

"I will."

Isaac found himself back down the stairs, where everyone was ready. He was surprised to see everyone with a weapon and ready to leave. Each person carried another. There were 21 people here and 21 people who needed to make it back to the camp. There were two cars near the cabins. Richard had two keys. His and Josh, which was retrieved during the fall out last night. Richard didn't need to say anything else. With Josh's pick-up they could manage to fit 16 people if they squeezed more than 6 inside and out. With Richard's jeep they'd only fit about 6. The car idea wasn't bothering him. It was how the hell they were going to manage getting there that made his stomach stur.

"Follow behind me and Kenneth," Richard pointed to his "friend." "We've been around this campsite for a few year so we know how to get out--safely. Regardless of who you see, do not hesitate to attack."

Richard ducked down, silently telling Isaac to climb up. When no one Isaac quickly climbed Richard's back without thought and ignored Kenneth and Gabriel. ignored Kenneth dragging Ashton's his blond hair back and kissing his eyelids and dragged the blanket back over his body. Isaac looked back at the brooding guy wearily. He was brooding, Isaac thought, but he was patient. Gabriel got up and dropped Richard's letterman. He walked past him, filing at the door where everyone else was.

Isaac watched as Richard picked up a rifle. "I'll take that,"he said, but just as quickly as he grasped the gun Richard was holding, Richard's grip tightened and stopped his attempt.

"No."

Isaac settled with another way of venting out his anger. He walked up to Kenneth, with Gabriel on his back, exhausted and looking as small as a child. Other pairs were already in the same position. Isaac would have laughed if the banging from the back door wasn't freaking him out.

"Make sure I see him alive when we get there." There was a loud crash as someone threw an object out one of the back windows, dragging attention outside to the noise. Richard helped Isaac on and made a start with Kenneth following. As they ran out he heard a gunshot and a hard thud as one of the bodies sank to the ground of the bodies that managed to catch up to them. Someone yelled in excitement and fear and Isaac felt it. He's sure everyone did. There were one or two misfires after.

Some were coming from the sides, jumping at those from behind. One of the women, a rather small one, swung her bat. The impact took her back some, forcing the weapon out of her hands. Her hands recoiled in pain as the body's nose broke, falling backwards. That pair lost its balance and tipped. Her wrist must have broken because she rushed to grab her partner's shoulders and screamed, tumbling over. He turned back to get her, but saw her get pounced on. He continued running. Isaac saw a familiar fate on the right, but both went tumbling and never got up. That's already 3 down. He closed his eyes counting 4 when he heard another strangled scream. He opened his eyes when Richard yell out his name. The rifle was in his face and he looked down at Richard.

Isaac grabbed the gun and looked to his back again. He took a breath as Richard stilled, locking his target to a body that approached desperate couple who were slowing down. He turned around as Richard slid to a stop. Isaac's eyes narrowed, ignoring those who were running past and Richard's demands for them to continue down the path. The frame in front of him seemed to stop as he shoot the two bodies approaching another mounted woman. He quickly turned to bodies which were coming from the side. Isaac couldn't indulge in the shouts of awe, not when he saw that his brother was being carried off with a group and a horde behind them.

Someone screamed, "W-wait! Where are they going?"

Isaac cursed. They didn't say anything about splitting up. Richard hadn't said anything about splitting up! People behind them were screaming in fear. Another couple, caught in between the split, let their confused hold them back and were quickly caught. That was when Richard replied, "This isn't a time to be worrying about them. You will die. Keep your heads forward and don't look back." But Isaac looked back. Another couple tumbled over each other, effectively knocking another group over. Isaac squeezed his eyes closed, the string of curses. This was what Richard meant by protecting them? Massacre?

Isaac could no longer see Gabriel's groups as the forestry became dense. He held the anger brewing in him, jumping when Richard yelled out. Isaac opened his eyes in confusion.

"Count!"

Isaac cleared his mind, ignoring the churning in his stomach, and turned around for a moment. He replied shakily, spitefully, "seven." There were seven of them left; reasonably, the most fit who could carry those on their back. As far as Isaac was concerned, around eight people just fell off the map--his brother included. It didn't take them long to find the clearing leading into the main campsite. The cars were there, they were next to the bonfire, but something was off. Isaac lost site of the cars when Richard turned towards a cabin, the growls in the distance waning, but still there.

"Left!" Gabriel flashed in Isaac's mind as Isaac poured out his anger into the next two shots. Soon they would be out of bullets. He was going to swing at the next one until he remembered that woman's mistake. He handed the empty barrel to Richard and signaled him. Richard stiffened, but he wasn't quick enough to stop Isaac from slamming his foot into the bodies face, quickly twisting its arms and leaving it defenseless for Richard's next assault. Richard spared Isaac of the gore, though, and quickly lifted him towards the nearest cabin.

"I told you not to leave me."

"You also said keep your cool."

Richard didn't reply as he ran to an opening from the back of the cabin. By the time Richard let Isaac down, other survivors were filing into the cabin.

"Use this one." Richard removed the rifle from a corpse's loose grip. He quickly shot the bodies entering from broken the main door. Richard yelled for another man to help him drag the couch and other furniture to the front door.

"No!" Isaac watched as a woman, a mess, was suddenly dragged by her hair and slammed to the ground. Isaac quickly shut the back door before any others entered. He screamed for Richard to shoot, but the girl continued to scream, thrashing. When her eyes met Richard's they widened. He wasn't shooting? Why wasn't he shooting?

Everyone watched as Richard grabbed a piece of glass and grabbed the body by the hair, and striking it through its jugular. Isaac didn't move to comfort her--others ran to do that--and it was quiet for a moment. For a moment. Richard wasn't wasting any other moments. He told everyone to grab whatever they could and get back downstairs.

"Do not hesitate to kill if you find anything up there." The others filed upstairs with the distraught women, but Richard moved to touch Isaac.

"Don't--do not touch me." Isaac's wide eyes were taking everything in that was before him. The blood stained clothes and the dead expression in Richard's eyes. Isaac winced when Richard's eyes softened.

"You waited," Isaac lowered his voice. Richard didn't hesitate--Isaac shook his head and shivered. When he looked up, Richard held up a duffel bag which had been on the couch, its contents on the ground. He wanted him to busy himself, collecting whatever food items he could. Isaac angrily stepped into the kitchen and shoved whatever he could into the duffel bag. When he was done, Isaac offhandedly dropped the heavy bag besides Richard's feet, who was observing the area, but that seemed to strike a cord.

"You barely know anyone at this party." Richard lowered himself to Isaac's face.

"Well, that's the point. Thought I'd get some reputations points in before next semester," Isaac looked away and lowered his voice, "that's if the campus is still there... What you're doing is crazy."

"Is it crazy if Gabriel is safe, in one piece, and by your side?" Isaac narrowed his eyes and glanced at the stairs. Shuffling could be heard from up the stairs. "They are liabilities."

Isaac looked away, mouth thin. Richard stood straight and sighed.

"If you get it, Isaac, you need to trust. Me." They stared at each other. Richard chastising, but he was also angry, which annoyed Isaac. It forced Isaac to still, to shut up. It unnerved him. "We'll split up with them when we find Gabriel, okay?"

"...Okay."

Isaac's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs. Everyone else came back down. Isaac didn't get the chance to push back because Richard was instructing them. Again. They would make a run for it back to the car, ignoring a body or two near other cabins down the path. The ground was made of gravel, so they couldn't avoid making noise. They would have to run. Isaac was quiet as he quickly helped push the blockage from the front door.

"W-wait." Everyone turned to the girl, the same one who was attacked before. She avoided looking at Richard and Isaac couldn't help noticing that she also avoided looking at him. She flinched at their gazes, beckoning the guy next to her to listen. He looked back at Richard after a moment. He explained that she suggested they get into separate cars. More space, in case they came across anyone else. Plus, they could look for survivors.

"But there are four of you. We could at least take one more." Isaac protested, but Richard only watched the woman cling and whimper and nodded.

"I think it'll be for the best." Richard nodded and threw the keys at the man, urging Isaac to get next to him. He told them to wave when they were ready to leave. They ran out first, quickly dragging the attention of the two bodies.

"Kyle, I don't trust him." Everyone looked at the smaller girl. "When I--I... he didn't hesitate. He just stared. He was going to leave me to die, I know it. I don't trust him. Kyle we have to leave. We have to forget them. We don't know if anyone is really alive!" Her friends calmed her down until they heard two gunshots ring.

"What the hell!" They heard two thuds as bodies fell and looked in the direction that it went to where it came from. Richard urged them to hurry after him and started the engine. Kyle told everyone to run to their car get in as they heard groans from the distance. Kyle looked down at the key and frowned. "What the fuck?" He turned the key around. He cursed two more times. He told them to get out.

Isaac looked back at the group stuck in the car as bodies ran towards them. One made the mistake of running out, telling them to stop, begging, and pleading.

"What did you do?" He yelled, voice caught when Richard's dark eyes met his. "You said--"

"I meant I would keep you safe."

They were never heading to the radio tower. Isaac bit his lip in anger, closing his eyes and trying to shut out the screams fading away. Richard sighed and accelerated. He didn't know how long it was until they managed to reach the parking lot where the coaches were. A whistle came from one of them as Isaac looked up watched Kenneth shut the window when Richard pulled up near the door. Isaac ignored Kenneth and searched frantically through the bus. He slowed down when he finally saw Gabriel's huddled form in the back. They didn't exchange words. Isaac hugged Gabriel and they sat in silence as Kenneth and Richard quickly loaded bags into the car.

"He'd brought us to the creek. We--they--" Gabriel couldn't look at Isaac. His mouth was thin, shoulders rigged. He hugged his brother, placing his head onto his brother's curly tufts of hair.

"The plan was never to save as many people as possible."

"We're ditching the bus. Hurry." Isaac pursed his lips and he and Gabriel got in the passenger seats of the silver pick up.

The drive out of the camp was tense. At least it was for the twins. They'd been running over bodies, both animate and inanimate ones until Richard grew frustrated, probably worried that the car would become damaged beyond repair.

"We know that the radios at the station were working." Richard said. Isaac looked at his haggard form and figured he was tired. Understandable. He was also confused. Did Kenneth tell him this? Isaac figured they took a detour while they were gone. "But there was no response. For now, as long as we have wi-fi we'll be fine. At least until electricity maintenance stops." He asked if everyone had their phones and reclined. Everyone did. Of course they did.

"The best thing we can do now is head back to town and stop by each of our places." Richard said. Isaac's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, because I could use a change of close and a soak in the kiddy pool," Isaac spat.

"It's not like you packed anything decent anyway." That annoyed Isaac.

"We're not going to follow you back; what, walk through this hell with a homicidal fucking maniac and his partner-in-crime? Stranger danger to the max." Isaac's eyebrows furrowed when Richard didn't say anything. His shoulders were tense, but he didn't say anything. This confused Isaac.

"I did it to protect you." Richard ran his hands through his dark locks, still looking at the road. "And I will keep doing it. So make sure you don't prevent that. Not for yourself and not for your brother."


	2. Strangers

Kenneth and Richard were calm. Way too calm.

The twins weren't, but they were too tired to keep up a strong front. Isaac decided shortly after Richard's message hours ago that he would do everything to assure Gabriel's safety. Richard wasn't an ordinary man. Neither was he and Gabriel. That's why when Kenneth tagged along, Isaac knew that they would be digging up their past--a past Richard was still involved in. When Isaac woke up in the car ride Gabriel had been trembling, tears streaming down his eyes. Kenneth was at the wheel this time. Isaac caught him staring through the rearview, but quickly put his eyes back on the road. The next time Isaac woke up, he was in a cold sweat. He trembled as he quickly rubbed the fabric of his sweater against his back to get rid of the lingering preseparation. He realized quickly that he was in Gabriel arms. His brother soothed him from hyperventilating.

But Kenneth and Richard were calm. They were calm when they drove from the camp. They were calm as they figured out how to get around a mess of abandoned cars. They were calm around lingering bodies (Isaac didn't force himself to look). They were calm when they continued down the highway, sundown, and darkness cloaking them. A day put them in distance from the campsite.

Isaac kicked a few pebbles, trudding around the backyard of a house they managed to secure for the night. He sighed as he looked at his phone. It was at 30%, battery-saving mode on. He groaned, "Great," letting his head fall back dramatically. These houses were on a off hillside, though they had driveways and the end of the slope was a street. The closest building was a middle school less than a mile back, but bodies were loitering around the entrance. Isaac stopped fiddling with his phone and sat atop a log and spread his legs out; he closed his eyes. There was a moment of silence before his ears perked at the footsteps approaching him.

"Shower's ready," When Isaac didn't reply, he added, "What are you doing?"

Isaac opened his eyes, blinking until the figure above him came into focus, before saying, "Maybe the next time I fall asleep, I'll actually wake up. I just need to board subconsciousness or something. Some kind of cool sci-fi thing, you know? Since anything is possible..."

Richard didn't say anything and Isaac took in his disheveled appearance before straightening himself and muttering "it was worth a try." Richard moved to sit down on the log and looked at the smaller man. Isaac looked at Richard and smiled a small smile. He stood up and stared at Richard, but he decided to look away and wrap his arms around himself. He had ditched Richard's jacket in the car, draping it over Gabe who refused to move for the last hour. Pretty much his whole body was exposed as he was only wearing a dark tank top, swearing to burn his sweater, and denim shorts. He'd gone around back, promising to get back after some alone time. His phone was blown up with texts and calls from friends and their parents who were back at home. Some of the things he picked up were,

ZOMBIES

UNDEAD

FREAK ACCIDENT

He shivered at the thought of it, or maybe because of the cold. Richard wrapped his arms around Isaac's waist, settling him in his lap. Whatever it was, Isaac allowed it to be an excuse for Richard to nip at his neck. He laughed as Richard suggested that they go in together. "Ah, taking advantage of me while--what is it?" Richard smiled at that, running his hand through Isaac's long hair. He'd lost his scrunchie somewhere in the chaos.

"In times of heightened anxiety fear may lead to higher--

"Stimulation of arousal, right." Isaac smiles cheekily as Richard grins handsomely at him.

"Aw, who knew, vulnerability is sexy," Isaac looked away quickly after his comment and bit the inside of his lip. He was lost in thought for a moment, forcing the memory of his breakdown away. Temporary. Everyone has their weak moments. He just wasn't going to have another one. Isaac was drawn out of his thoughts when Richard kissed the crown of his head.

"Yeah, well as nice as that sounds, I'd rather wash that excitement off. No feeling fucks, remember, Manny?"

No feelings. Right. Isaac closed his eyes and nodded, composing himself. Isaac turned around and brought his light thumb to Richard's dark lips. Then, he patted the larger man's cheeks and walked away. When he glanced back, Richard was rustling his hair. By the time Isaac turned the corner to the front door he realized that his heart was beating. He and Richard had has plenty of flings in the past and each time he'd detached himself from the man whenever the sentimental mood would risk him falling into a post-coital state. This time, however, it wasn't the sentimentalism that was getting to him. It was fear. Of Richard. Of what he was capable of. Maybe not against him and not Gabriel, but what he thought qualified as protection. What he thinks is just.

Isaac sat in the car and left the door open as his legs were tucked under him. He reached out to shake his brother. "Heya Gabe, we have a date with hot water and hopefully bath salts, like, now." His eye furrowed as his brother quietly sat up.

"You have to get yourself together, okay?" He held Gabriel's head in his hands and waited for a nod. Gabriel simply frowned and shoved himself outside. Isaac held him steady for a moment and eventually ushered him inside. He bit the inside of his mouth out of habit, but both cheeks were numb. Isaac mentally groaned in disgust at the habit and settled with soothing his cheeks with his tongue. When they arrived in the living room, he noticed Kenneth was messing around with a laptop, legs spread comfortably, shirt and a pile of clothes besides him. He was shirtless except for the towel draped around his neck. His dark hair looked darker in its damp state.

Kenneth looked up when he heard a whistle as the twins came in. His eyes were sharp, probably without the intent of anger. There was a gun besides him--probably the previous owners'. Isaac reached down to grab the gun, but Kenneth quickly held his arm from going any further. "Whoa there Midnight, I'm sure you know about our training. We were caught off guard a bit." Isaac leaned in, hand wrapped around Kenneth's neck, middle finger and pointer hovering over skin as he whispered, "Don't belittle us."

Isaac looked at his brother who called out his name, looking to the side and frowning. He rolled his eyes and glanced at the laptop, but Kenneth had already closed it and moved on to his phone. He stood up straight and noticed the clothes. Isaac moved around the couch and picked up the clothes on the coffee table. He gagged and smiled at Gabriel. Gabriel smiled a bit.

"You think we can make these work?" There must have been teenagers living the house because the clothes seemed to fit them well enough. But they would need work. Isaac looked at the pile in his hands. Just a few touch ups. When they finally reached the bathroom, Isaac let Gabriel in first. The hot water revealed all the places he'd gotten cut without knowing, but he ignored the pain, back aching. He decided that they'd shower the grime down the drain before running the bath. Isaac appreciated the plan. It gave him time to ignore the sensation of water trailing down his back.

They decided that bath salts were probably not the solution for their skin, least they risk irritating their wounds. Isaac eventually sunk down to get his hair wet. Gabriel didn't complain. Even if he did feel pain, he didn't do anything to show it. Isaac couldn't meet Gabriel's eyes for a while; he was so deep in thought that he didn't realize the tears dripping down his face. Then he let out a choked sob.

"Hey, it's okay. Calm down." Gabriel took his hand away when Isaac reached for it. He pulled at his hair, sobbing loudly, and then some. When he drained himself dry, Isaac poured some water down his body. Now, Isaac realized, they was just tired. Gabriel laid his head on his knees and his eyes drifted to the right. He noticed the little cabinet in the bottom of the sink. Isaac watched his brother stretch out and scrimmage for whatever what was inside. Isaac watched his brother, his skin radiating and red making the freckles around his shoulder and face glow and figured he looked the same.

Gabriel pulled back eventually and grabbed something that squeaked. Isaac looked up at the rubber duck that Gabriel placed on his damp head. They smiled and sat in silence a bit more. The air around them was less tense. When they'd began dressing Isaac took his time to dry Gabriel cotton candy locks with a towel. He slowed his movements and put his hand on Gabriel's arm.

"What happened to Ashton..." Gabriel's lip thinned, but he took a breath. He'd gotten bitten; Isaac figured that must. Gabriel explained that this was when everyone had gone into the cabin.

"We went looking for you." He and Ashton were ushered inside. Eventually other people running around the forest found the cabin. They'd decided to patrol and kill whatever was near the cabin. He, Ashton, Kenneth, and Richard had been partroling.

"He caught us leaving the bonfire and asked to come along." Each pair was keeping watch over two sides of the house; they would meet at a corner every few minutes. In the end, Ashton hadn't gotten out unscathed. Gabriel protested killing Ashton, but they'd settled with cutting his hand off. They didn't have the right resources. He bleed out.

"He didn't survive... Duh," Gabriel laughed, but it was a miserable sound. Kenneth had cut it. Isaac bit the inside of his lip. There's no way in hell that was a coincidence. Isaac told Gabriel to look at him. Told him that he was safe.

I don't buy it, Isaac thought. It nagged him to no end because he couldn't help but think: Why didn't Richard amputate it instead? Gabriel looked at Isaac wearily. He put his hair back in a small ponytail and stopped fidgeting with his hair. Gabriel removed the now cool towel from his head and looked down at the cotton material. Isaac's eyes widened as he turned Gabriel around watched the healthy flush take over his pale cheeks.

"Gabe! He's got an in with Manny!"

"You sleep with Richard, Issac. Way to fall for the so-called enemy."

Isaac closed his mouth and stared at his brother seriously.

"Gabe, you've been looking at him like he stabbed you, so yeah, I'm worried. Who is he?"

"...Library guy."

Isaac tilted his head and suddenly his jaw dropped. Gabriel quickly covered Isaac's mouth. Isaac signaled with his hands as if opening a book then pointing down to his privates. His eyes were creasing and Gabriel looked at him wearily before slowly removing his hand. Gabriel cringed at Isaac's creepy smile. He knew Library Guy. Well, he's heard of him. Gabriel had seen him outside of the window of the local library in their town during the summer of 9th grade. It had been childish flirting, really. Isaac didn't find out about this until 11th grade when he'd caught Gabriel's practically swooning at someone he saw across the park from their house.

"He was a total loner. I thought he'd been with the emo crowd, but I never even saw him with them."

Gabriel looked at him disapprovingly.

"Goth?"

Gabriel stared and Isaac dismissed him.

"I don't care about him right now, Isaac. I've been calling everyone Mom, Dad, Alessa. What about Alessa? She doesn't know what happened to her own brother--"

"We'll go back to town, okay? I was being... rash. So, calm down, alright? We can't afford to lose our heads. Alessa is a tough act."

Isaac ruffled his hands through Gabriel's hair and quickly turned around to rummage around the cabinets. He exited the bathroom and foraged around other rooms until he found it. Gabriel followed him and jumped back when Isaac showed him a pair of scissors.

Richard and Kenneth had been talking when Gabriel and Kenneth came downstairs. Richard rubbed his temples as Kenneth lifted an eyebrow. Isaac had managed to cut a pair of sweatpants and hem them, so they'd look like shorts and their t-shirts were cut so that they hung off their shoulders with patterns down the arms. Gabriel wore a long sleeve shirt under his t-shirt. Isaac had cut Gabriel's so that it rose up to his waistline at the front, but the back draped down to where his thighs and butt met. Isaac simply tied his into a knot in the back, so it clung to himself, but didn't reveal his stomach. Gabriel flushed though, not because he wasn't used to wearing Isaac's designs, but because Isaac was presenting him.

"Cute, right?"

"If you consider zero protection cute, then yeah." Richard bit back. Isaac and Richard exchanged a few other insults as the twins joined them at the kitchen island and sat on the bar stools. Gabriel shook his head.

"This is weird." Everyone's eyes drifted to Gabriel. He frowned. "This is-- it's too--normal." He looked at the palm of his hand. It was clean, but warm. If he tried hard enough he could remember the blood trickling down his hands. His hands tingle. He frowned and spat out, "What are we required to do now?"

"Contact your operatives and report to them. We'll need to head to the nearest--"

Gabriel and Isaac slammed their hands on the table, "Stop planning for a moment."

"I don't see the point in taking time with this." Richard leaned back and crossed his arms.

The twins stared at each other. Gabriel sighed. Why did he have to deal with this stuff? He got up and held his hand up to Richard.

"I know what I need to do." Isaac sighed as Gabriel sat back at the table with a USB connector and the laptop Richard handed him. Gabriel began pulling the computer apart, Isaac enthusiastically taking pieces and throwing away what Kenneth knew was unnecessary.

"I thought we were just a couple of government fuck ups." Gabriel shook his head at his brother's vulgarity, but continued working. Isaac looked at Kenneth and continued, "Daddy meddled with the mafia back at home."

Isaac glanced at Richard.

"And the rest is just a blur of wonderful childhood memories and kick-ass summer camps with Witness Protection." Isaac stared at his brother and pouted. Gabriel and Isaac were basically the government's insurance, he liked to refer to it. If they happened to get caught up in an incident while they were leading their normal lives, they would at least have the chance to defend themselves." He stared at Kenneth. Gabriel stopped typing by now and was looking at Kenneth, expecting--expecting something. Like a somewhat normal guy not involved in all this government crap.

Of course, Gabriel fell in love with their adoptive family. But Isaac didn't need them to cling to that false hope of normalcy. That was what his party life was for. He swung his right leg over and his left.

"I guess this was another government fuck up. Virus, right?" Kenneth nodded. That's what the news hadn't been saying.

"So, Doctor Junior, who works in their lab, you're telling me that it isn't a coincidence that we're here with you two agency lackeys heading--where? I'm guessing Dr. Soltra and friends didn't let you in on the secret... and then we'll waltz on over to base with you because we're gullible." He never cared to ask about the work Richard and his snot-nosed government scientists, officials, and whatnot were doing. He wouldn't have been living a normal life if he did. After their last training, the summer after graduation, he and Gabriel said that they were out. But this--Isaac would've appreciated a 2 days notice for a mishandled virus.

"You're wrong."

"Back it up with evidence." Isaac shrugged. He watched Gabriel's rapid eye movements with interest. He then directed his attention back to Kenneth.

"I'm assuming Manny respected us enough to keep our files away from you. So, how are you involved?" Gabriel glanced at Kenneth.

"He work in the Special Ops division," Richard explained. So, he does a lot of moving, Isaac thought, which didn't make sense if he was stuck as a bodyguard. Unless he transferred from Intelligence.

"I was talking to him," Isaac said, expectant.

"I'm a Sleeper. Dr. Soltra hired me after my last time on the field. I...," Keneth glanced at Gabriel, "I tagged you two, per Dr. Soltra's request."

Isaac laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. Of course, that's why he happened to be tagging along. Bodyguard for his bodyguard. Everyone looked at Gabriel when the laptop let out a loud error noise. He apologized and closed in himself, returning to his task. Isaac glanced at his brother, upset.

"Didn't know you needed a babysitter, Prince Charming," Isaac said and continued, "So, your dad wants us to come back to the base? Do some training, right? And then we'd be expected to clean up his mess? Not. Cool."

There was a tense silence as the twins stared at the older men, expecting answers. Everyone turned to Gabriel again whose new device was beeping. "Are they expecting us?"

Gabriel's brows furrowed as he stared at the device.

"They know you're capable enough of reaching them." Richard commented. Gabriel sighed, hands hesitating on the keyboard. He jumped when Isaac pulled out the USB and began to pull apart the makeshift device. "Are. They. Expecting. Us?"

"You're alive and you're trained, so yes. If you're caught you will be blacklisted."

"As far as I'm concerned anyone getting mauled apart right now has been blacklisted. We're sitting here ready to be killed. This is a punishment--not a simulation," Isaac laughed, "And we're going to be blacklisted for non-compliance?" Isaac looked at the pieces of the communicating device Gabriel made and handed it to Richard. This didn't make sense to him. If Richard and Kenneth were among personnel who knew what was going on, how come they hadn't brought them back to the base? He looked at Richard. "Destroy it. Consider us blacklisted."

'But--" Gabriel pursed his lips when Isaac looked at him, smiling. Gabriel hesitated, but started pulling the communications device apart.

"Gabe, look at it this way. The anecdote is unknown. Four strangers travel across the country in search of hope and an answer. Four badass strangers, I may add. And these strangers are going to get to know each other better because it's summer vacation. College is officially out and a zombie can honestly kiss my ass. Besides, stress can increase wrinkles and Midnight over there already looks like he wants to burn a hole into everything in sight."

Isaac was looking around in the living room area and continued, "Or we can report, train, and spend years clearing literally a whole state of the undead. Or we can report, get tested, and have them try anecdotes on us." Isaac rummaged through a closet near the television, letting out a huff of frustration. "Prince Charming and Midnight over here already swore their lives to protect us." He shrugged and looked back and forth. He perked up as he noticed something on the glass table that the television stood on. He hummed as he picked up a pair of aviators. "And me? Well, there's no way in hell that I'm going to hand you over to them."

He stares at the dark object in his hands. He wasn't sure if Richard's idea of protection or justice is right, if it's the best way to secure his life and his brother's. "Agent's Midnight and Researcher Soltra secure subjects of Case K1045. Along the way back to base they lose communication due to a confrontation with infected innocents... Sounds about like the story you want them to get, right, Manny?" All he's sure of is that he's on the green of Richard's ideals and quite frankly, he'd like to remain there.

"Think of it as a road trip. We can head west." Isaac looked at them and smiled, placing the shades on his nose and then pushing them down the bridge of his nose.

"Because why not?"


	3. Down for the Count

The excruciating sound of bones breaking against the force of a metal baseball bat rung through the air. The noise sent chills down Gabriel's spine and he couldn't tell if it had the same effect on Isaac, but Gabriel could count a million reasons why not to head west that instant. He caught the ashen eyes of the body as it collapsed. Isaac froze besides him. Kenneth stared at the body and watched it writhe, freeze up, and stop moving on the asphalt.

"Traumatic force applied to temple causing a major concussion and instant death. Applies to the living." Richard said matter-of-factly as he recorded the details. Kenneth flicked the bat, its contents circling around his feet. Gabriel's gaze was long since averted from the scene, but Isaac cursed and held onto him. This was real. This. Was. Real. As much as Isaac wanted to joke about the situation, the deformed body on the floor forced him to shut up. They had been trying to figure out the bodies' patterns and how to kill them without the reliance of a "double-tap rule." So far, they found that the bodies weren't immune to similar physical traumas that a breathing human could experience. Richard held one down and tested the reflexes in their eyes. Their eyes didn't adjust. Even as Richard flashed the light in one of the bodies' eyes it flinched from the sudden change. They were practically blind in the night.

"Why do they look like that?" Isaac forced out.

"There skin is supposed to be staining, but their blood doesn't seem to be clotting up when lacerated. It explains the swelling in areas and bruises, but not this kind of discoloration..." Richard shook his head. He wasn't sure. The twins looked at each other.

Isaac woke up later that night drenched in sweat. He could've swore that his midsection was throbbing, but when he touched it his whole palm was hot, throwing off an accurate check. He didn't dare close his eyes. The sweat on his back reminded him of the blood dripping down his back, so he wriggled uncomfortably. The phantom pain radiating from his midsection wasn't letting up and he felt more gross than anything. He dared to look to his right. Placing himself back into darkness would only make the memory of the first night vivid again. But moonlight spilled into the room. It wasn't dark. He wasn't in that forest. He sat up and pushed his bangs out of his face. They clumped on his forehead and made more sweat stick to his pasty face. He settled with tying his hair back in a ponytail. This was the third day that they lounged at the house. The owners seemed to have been packing because closed bags were everywhere. Isaac couldn't believe that they were escaping because of the travel brochures, but something forced them and the neighbors to flee. Isaac grimaced at the thought that they'd likely never be coming back due to more unfortunate circumstances.

He looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was around 2 in the morning. He felt achy. Tired. Scared. He shook his head. He also knew more than anyone else that he needed to let go of any lingering fears. That was his memo. His hazy thoughts brought him to one of the master bedrooms. He walked over to Richard's sleeping form and sat near his navel.

"Manny." He moaned out, bending down kiss the man's neck. Richard had long since thrown out his bloody shirt and was clad in a tight v-neck which was probably the father's. To say that Isaac appreciated that was an understatement. Richard finally opened his eyes and looked up at Isaac who pulled his t-shirt over his head. His eyes were heavily lidded, pale skin and freckles illuminated by the streaks of moonlight peeking through the slightly pulled back curtains. Isaac hoped he looked sexy. He certainly didn't feel it.

"You're sick."

Isaac didn't know whether to take offense to that, but he decided that Richard wasn't trying to be an asshole. So he pouted, responding with, "So?"

Richard sat up and placed his hand on Isaac's head. He took a good guess of what his temperature was, picked Isaac up, and headed to the bathroom nearest the stairs. Isaac groaned; he just wanted the heat coiling in his stomach to go away. He wanted to replace the memory of blood trickling down his back with sweat and demanding hands. But Gabriel had it worse. Gabriel has it worse, Isaac thought. Not only because of the trauma itself, but because of the memories, He wasn't trying to lead Richard on this time. Maybe. He was still somewhat coherent enough to decide that.

Richard put him down on the toilet lid and ran a lukewarm bath. He removed Isaac's sweats, because Isaac was lenient enough. Isaac was surprised to see himself soft, but Richard raised his eyes for a different reason. He wasn't wearing underwear on. Richard commented on it and Isaac rolled his eyes. "Did you see the brands these people wear? Besides, the panties here aren't that cute and like hell I'll wear another guy's boxers." Isaac rolled his eyes and Richard sighed.

"Steam them if you have to."

"I know that you know that germs are not that easy to kill."

"You're going to use this anyway," Richard refereed to the blue loofah hanging on a suspended basket. Isaac looked at it in mild disgust.

"Right, okay. Put me down. Please."

Isaac was tired of feeling like a broken child. Richard set him on to his feet and they watched as the tub filled up. Isaac got inside. He wanted to tell Richard to leave, but the moment his back inched into the water, he grabbed on to Richard's wrist.

"Wait. Just... wait."

Richard looked at Isaac, his brows furrowing some.

"Josh's blood. I can feel it," Isaac forced out, "It's just trauma, right Doc? I'll get over it..."

"You should have told me sooner."

"I will get over it," Isaac said as he looked into his eyes with a determined look.

Richard didn't say anything else. Isaac tensed when he noticed Richard pouring soap on a loofah. He guided it up and down Isaac arms, then down his stomach, thighs, and calves. When the loofah stopped at the nape of Isaac's neck, he closed his eyes and breathed out. Drops of water cascaded down his back. Closing his eyes was helping, he opened them and stared at the clear water. He splashed the water and instantly regretted it, the splattering sensation upon his cheeks triggered a memory. It wasn't of Josh, but of dead blue eyes and white lilies and yellow sunflowers being painted with red. He felt the urge to help, but Richard's slight movement reminded him that he wasn't in a garden and he most certainly wasn't in a life or death situation. His hand brushed Richard's for a moment, but he was still lost in thought. 

Richard watched Isaac's shoulders and back tense. Isaac jumped when he felt lips on his freckled shoulder. Isaac rolled his eyes, coming back to his senses. He tensed when Richard leaned close to his neck. He leaned away, trying to calm the jumpstart of his heartbeat.

"I'm not in the mood." Isaac hugged his thighs, hiding his frown and blush. They sat together in another suffocating silence. Friends. With. Benefits. That's all it was. He turned around, putting his back to Richard.

"Is this worldwide?" Isaac broke the silence as he leaned back on the tub. He bit his lips. It's water. It's water.

"If infected people managed to travel, then, yes."

"Even they need vacations," Isaac joked sourly.

"It isn't airborne."

"So, you guys can get one thing right." Isaac wanted there to be more malice in the statement, but he was too tired.

"You choose a shitty place to intern," Isaac joked. He slipped deeper into the water. Though, he didn't have much of a choice on what he was born into, Isaac thought. None of them did. He lifted his arm and poured water over it, watching it roll down his arm. But Richard did have a choice. Isaac thought about Kenneth and Gabriel. Is that why Gabriel felt betrayed? Because Kenneth could have been something else? He could have chosen to be something else, Isaac mouthed. It felt odd to give it life. That meant it was a possibility. Where would they be if they were strangers? He glanced at Richard who caught his gaze.

They remained quiet after that. After Isaac finished washing up, Richard let Isaac dress himself up. He couldn't ignore the prominent flush on Isaac's cheeks and opened up the window. He waited until Isaac was asleep again. Richard stayed by Isaac's side. He'd been in bed most of the day and his temperature spike quickly by the morning. He kept sweating as Richard tended to him, but he slept. There was a brief period of lucidity where he ate, but by the time Gabriel came to, Isaac was fast asleep. He and Richard changed posts.

"Don't push yourself."

Gabriel only tiredly nodded. Gabriel brought Isaac another glass of water around the afternoon and changed the damp cloth on his head. He brought a chair with a canning to the bedside and brought his knees up to his chest. Gabriel thought that by being next to Isaac, he wouldn't be left alone, but he soon found himself overwhelmed by his thoughts. He watched his brother for a bit and closed his eyes. He bit his lip as an image of Ashton flashed in his mind. He whimpered. He wish he could've done something. He could have been there. He shouldn't have told them to cut it off. He'd do anything change the ending-- Gabriel looked up when Isaac huffed particularly loud. He watched his brother's damp shirt ride up his stomach and noticed the red mark on his stomach. He got up and wiped his eyes. He headed back downstairs and walked out to the living room. Richard looked up and at him. He was reading a book that he'd found around the house. Gabriel gulped and sat down on the couch adjacent to Richard. The senior sighed.

Gabriel had always been weary of Richard out of distrust. He'd always been like an older brother when Richard's father introduced them. Richard continued to be an older brother when twins were placed under the training program in Witness Protection. That was until he realized that Richard and Isaac's relationship was no longer platonic. But Gabriel knew Richard cared and that made it difficult to hate the man. Isaac frowned and looked at his palm. He looked at Richard with a determined look. He knew he was being immature.

"I... don't care what it is that you and Isaac have going on. But I don't appreciate that you had Kenneth tail me--"

"I have nothing but good intentions when it comes to Isaac and you. But even if Kenneth works for me, he has an independent mind. I've given that to all my guards. You need to ask him what you want to ask me. I don't know."

Gabriel didn't like to be talked down to, but he guessed he felt that way because it was Richard.

"I won't pretend to understand how you're dealing with this loss, Gabe, but--"

Gabriel shut his eyes and stuck out his hand. As much as he thought he could hate Richard, he hates bad vibes far more. Richard looked past Gabriel's hand and instead wrapped his own around the younger man. Gabriel quickly blinked his tears away as he held onto Richard's embrace.

"I just want a normal life." He sobbed out. It hurts. Ashton is gone. Kenneth wasn't the ordinary guy he pretended to be. It was only a matter of time for the curtains to be raised and for Gabriel to return to another hell he'd didn't care he was prepared for.

"I'm sorry."

Gabriel knew he was. Gabriel quickly composed himself and let out a shaky breath. It felt good to have a rocky foundation to stand on. He felt like he was walking on leaves ready to give way to a rocky bottomless pit.

"I'll go check on Isaac again."

"That's fine--"

"No. I've been a wreck--"

"Understandably so."

"I. Want. To help." He needs to do something. Offer a solution to something. They already decided to head away from base, so there was no need for him to help with communications. Gabriel relaxed when Richard simply nodded and told him what to do to help. As Gabriel walked up the stairs with a warm towel, he rounded the corner and bump into Kenneth. He backed up, if not to ease the strain of meeting Kenneth's eyes. Kenneth mumbled an apology, but Gabriel shook his head and asked if he'd just woken up. His hair was disheveled and so were his clothes. Kenneth rubbed his eyes, causing Gabriel to laugh some. "Well, good afternoon. Evening almost." Kenneth blinked.

Gabriel continued walking towards Isaac's room and looked back. "Um, actually, would you mind helping me make something for him?" Kenneth shook his head and Gabriel smiled again, albeit weakly. "I'll meet you downstairs in 30."

Around that time Kenneth had freshened up and was sitting at the kitchen table with a lollipop from a hidden stash in a high-reach cupboard in his mouth.

"Did we happen to pass a market?" They were around farmland, Gabriel remembered. He hadn't done much in the car drive from camp but gaze outside. Both Richard and Kenneth were downstairs, so he had been addressing them both. They looked at him, confused. He was wearing at least two layers of sweatshirts, sweatpants, and boots. He even found gloves. Richard questioned his clothing choice for the 70 degree weather, though the night provided a bit of a chill. Gabriel told him that the burn around Isaac's midsection still hasn't healed. As far as they were concerned, they were around farmland, so they could easily look for a market. He wanted to make a cream with aloe vera instead of using something manufactured. Richard frowned. They didn't have many bullets to waste. They'd found only two guns in the closest houses. Gabriel was capable of close combat and he was capable of recognizing when he was outmatched with an opponent. That's why he needed someone else.

"Kenneth and I can look around the market. Their eyes are dulled, right?" Richard agreed, but he hadn't tested out their ears yet. "Then I'll be the one to find out and then some. You have no excuse to stop me." Right. They weren't ordinary people. They decided to take Isaac in the car with them, wrapped up in a blanket and a damp towel on his forehead. Gabriel smiled weakly as Richard closed the door behind him. As Kenneth drove he looked at Gabriel whose face was concentrated on the road.

Gabriel glanced at Kenneth and shifted his body towards the window more. His eyes widened as he flushed. This was so embarrassing. He'd wanted to go with Kenneth alone purposely, but Richard was like a hawk. Of course, splitting up was ne of the most idiotic plotlines ever invented, but he felt confident this time. There's no way he'd say something that wouldn't get him teased for days on end. But Isaac was out of it and Richard wasn't one to tease. He bit his bottom lip and sat tensed. He jumped when someone's phone announced that they were near a market. The wifi was thin around here, but Gabriel was glad for whatever they had at the moment. They stopped a few feet away from the entrance of the market. Kenneth put the engine off. Richard took the driver's seat and Isaac was placed into shotgun. Kenneth ducked in front of Gabriel and held onto him, reminded him to stay close. Kenneth handed Gabriel a knife instead of a gun.

"I only know what Richard's told me."

Gabriel clutched the knife and nodded. As they approached the market, bodies began to appear. The space was open and it was small compared to what they were used to at their town's county fair. Kenneth walked up to a body near the entrance. He waited a moment, patted the grass loudly. Then he patted a wooden box labeled SQUASHES and the body turned and groaned. When it was close enough, he quickly grabbed it's mouth with his gloved palm and twisted it's neck. However, he'd attracted two more near a pumpkin stand sex feet away. He told Gabriel to crawl around the fence. They'd hop over from another side.

Gabriel got up, cheeks flushed and breathing light. They hopped over the short fence, behind a squash stand in the second row. They'd have to figure out where the aloe vera was, if there was any. Gabriel spotted a body walking towards the back of stands two rows back. He jumped back over the fence lining the market. He creeped on the other side, snapped in front of its face and jumped back over the fence. It toppled over as it ran into the fence. Kenneth jumped over and stepped on its nape with his boots.

Gabriel bit the inside of his cheek.

"You can be more humane than that." He looked at Kenneth, a bit annoyed, reassuring him that he could handle himself.

"They can't jump." They continued, eyes straining. He wished they had night-vision goggles. Eventually they made it to the other side of the lot. As his eyes trailed over the stands, he soon noticed plants. His eyes spotted the aloe among others. He jumped over the fence and took a few aloe. His breaths started to come out harder as he stumbled. Kenneth held his shoulder and smiled down at him.

"Good job." Gabriel nodded as his eyes fluttered and his body suddenly slumped.

Kenneth's grip tightened around him and he harshly maneuvered to prevent them from bumping into the nearest stand. The thump and shuffling of clothes was loud enough anyway because a groan responded to the movements. Kenneth lifted Gabriel's face and cursed. He urged Gabriel to get up, leading him back to the car. A body approached them from the side and Kenneth slashed it's neck, watching it fall back as blood splattered on them. It was messy, but they couldn't afford stealth at this moment. He stepped on it neck until it stopped writhing and quickly ran off, Gabriel barely holding on, breathing hard. Once they rounded the fence, Kenneth laid Gabriel down. His breath was labored and his face was radiating heat. Kenneth frowned, calming his breath. His eyebrows furrowed as Gabriel whipped the blood off his face, looking at it and whimpering. He dropped his hand as if it was on fire, whimpering Ashton's name over and over. Kenneth quickly whipped Gabriel's hand and picked him up, making sure the aloe was cradled in Gabriel's lap. He ran off the lot and ran in the direction of car. Kenneth put Gabriel in the passenger seat and quickly as Richard accelerated back up the hill. He drove the car into the driveway of two houses away. They barricaded entrances that night.

Isaac was moved into the room Kenneth occupied. His fever broke by the next morning. When Isaac woke up that morning, he tugged at the mask over his face, annoyed. He trailed out of the unfamiliar room and frowned when he walked into the room he and Gabriel occupied. Isaac hadn't bothered for more information other than finding out that Gabriel only caught a fever. He sighed as he placed a damp towel over Gabriel's head. "Hurry up and get better. I'm dying to have someone police my outfits," Isaac grumbled. It didn't lessen the worry gnawing at his stomach as he stared at his brother's flushed face and opened mouth, gasping for air. He sighed when he heard a single name escape Gabriel's lips. Isaac could only guess that Isaac had a shitty way of coping with Ashton's loss.

The next day, Isaac woke up to a blanket draped around himself. He decided that sleeping at someone's bedside was one of the worst things he could do to his body. He felt drowsy and uncomfortable as he peeled himself from the sheets. Gabriel was still wheezing and his temperature was still high. Isaac sat up and noticed that there was an chair next to the wall, facing him. A towel rested on it. Isaac picked it up, noting that it was fresh. He turned around and plopped back down, holding onto Gabriel's warm hand. Gabriel squeezed it, his eyes moving vigorously in his sleep. Isaac sighed.

It took five days before Gabriel's fever broke.


	4. Anxious

Isaac vomited as Kenneth shot another body, confirming that they could be taken down with a wound to the heart. Richard took it upon himself to assume any human-like fatalities were reasonable. He looked back at Isaac who sat, trembling, and frustrated. Their eyes met. Isaac got to his feet and started the walk back to the new house they huddled in. Isaac insisted that he would continue to help out with his research to find out any weaknesses, but it all came crashing down on him again. Isaac got better after his fever broke, but the reality still made his stomach stur. They had called it a day as Isaac cleaned himself up. He didn't mind that Richard carried him back and put him to bed. When he woke up the sun was down and he could hear Gabriel's faint breaths escape from the crack on the door. He walked around the house, a nagging feeling him chasing him along the way. He was lost in thought for a moment before deciding to head back to Gabriel's room. They checked around the drawers and found a pack of cigarettes, haphazardly thrown makeup, and other items. He'd gone downstairs to look for a lighter in the kitchen when he froze and saw a figure on the tacky coffee colored couch. He huffed as Kenneth looked at him expectantly, walking past the couch and continuing his frantic search. Isaac slammed a cabinet door closed, staring at the lighter in grip. Richard wasn't around. When he opened the back door, he heard Kenneth call out to him from his spot on the couch.

"Where are you going?" Isaac frowned and he tilted his head, annoyed. Richard must have been far because Kenneth put on a coat and insisted on following Isaac out.

The house had been somber when Gabriel was down for those few days. Isaac found himself in the backyard, looking around. This house didn't have actually have a backyard, per say. The forest was the back. No fences separated one house from the next, so the area was spacious. This is supposed to be relaxing, Isaac thought. It's the great-outdoors. But Isaac wasn't on a vacation. So, here he was, with some guy he only heard about from his brother's school-girl fantasies, as Isaac liked to call them, trying to smoke but failing. Isaac expected this dark and brooding guy to make an atmosphere that would calm him, even encourage him to smoke, but--

He totally ruins the mood!

Isaac sat on a log and put the pack and lighter next to him. He looked up when a piece of candy was put in face.

"How haven't your teeth rotted yet?" Isaac said, disgusted. Kenneth was always eating candy, at least when Isaac took the moment to notice it. Kenneth just looked at him and Isaac grew irritated. This guy was the silent type too.

"I used to smoke." Isaac rolled his eyes. He started to think that he probably wasn't going to take the smoke. He'd only smoked a few times for the hell of it. Fun times. Being a teenager, through he had one more year if he would be able to see it through. It helped with the nerves. He never bothered to tell Richard about that though. Isaac's ears perked up when Kenneth continued talking.

"Your brother said I should try out candy." Isaac laughed, mockingly, but genuinely, and commented that that would be the "Gabe thing" to do.

"You can call him by his name, you know. Maybe make it one of the few things you say." Isaac rolled his eyes, not bothering to look at Kenneth as he brought his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and sighed.

"Why are you heading west?"

"Does a motive matter? You're still taking us there. Well... we need to make a pit stop."

Kenneth didn't seem like the type to banter. He remained indifferent as he regarded Isaac. Isaac didn't know what was going on in his head, but he hoped that getting information out of him wasn't one of them. Heading West was vague, but if Kenneth knew what he did, then it was obvious enough.

"What's your story, Kenny? If you want me to say something, you've got to give."

Kenneth didn't say anything, which annoyed Gabriel.

"My mother knew Richard's father."

"So you're a labor baby." Born to serve the agency, in other words. Isaac didn't say anything, but he knew he couldn't completely trust Kenneth. He didn't know what he didn't know about Kenneth. Have they met before? He was a person who lived and breathed for himself. Outside of Richard's orders, what did he think. What did he do? Isaac wondered how much of that mattered and whether or not they'd be dead in a few months.

"What does that make you exactly?"

Isaac frowned.

"The way you were holding that rifle wasn't just luck on your side."

"Our father had gotten mixed up in our grandparents' business back at home. We ended up moving to Seoul. They told us that our mother had brought us to the states to get out of the mess. But guess what, Kenneth. The agency taught us how to shoot a gun. So, surprise, surprise." He closed his eyes to calm himself down.

"Our grandmother was nuts, probably from old age, probably her obsession with spirits. The last thing I remember about her is her glass eye. Said it was cursed or some shit and that she'd follow whoever was close to us in the afterlife. She freaked us out when we were younger, especially Gabe. Everyone has their demons. And now everyone literally is a demon."

Isaac trailed off and sighed. "I don't know if that's why he's taking Ashton's death as hard as he is now. The burial and all... They wanted to go fishing, not camping. It's gross, but it was probably a better idea. I don't believe in stuff like karama. Never believed my grandmother's religious nonsense. I especially don't believe it when shit like this happens. People depending on an absent force when things go to shit are the worse kind of people. She's probably cackling right now, wherever she is. Gabriel always has this kind of faith where he believes things balancing out, through," Isaac glanced at Kenneth, "That's why I'm leaving his judgement on you. We like to get rid of bad vibes; I'm just a lot more lenient."

Isaac rose up from the log. Isaac smiled at Kenneth, but it wasn't kind. Kenneth closed his eyes and sighed as he looked away. Isaac stood up as he grabbed the pack and lighter. He held his palm out and upwards. As Kenneth handed Isaac the lollipop, Isaac's hand lingered a bit longer necessary as he picked it up and exchanged it with the pack and lighter. He lightly tapped Kenneth's hand.

"What's your objective?"

"You gave me a one-liner, Mr. Too-cool-to-be true."

Isaac hoped he liked like a man with an objective, because he certainly didn't feel like one. Maybe Kenneth saw through his bluff. Isaac winked at him and started to walk back to the house.

"Please take care of us."

Isaac continued to tend to Gabriel, unable to sleep after talking to Kenneth. He thought the cool air and the talk would help him relax, but confessing that stuff to Kenneth made the unrest continue to gnaw at his stomach. He walked downstairs to grab a cup of water. When he was sure he wasn't going to give up the rest of the little he ate earlier, he walked up the stairs to the bathroom, wanting to wash his face. Because it made everything a bit normal to worry about breaking out. He stopped abruptly when someone blocked his path to the room. He moved back and bit his lip in frustration.

Not fair, he thought.

"Where were you?" Richard was shirtless and in pair of a sweats. There was sweat running down his dark skin, probably from a workout, chest rising and falling a bit faster than normal. Some of his hair stuck to his skin, but it clearly looked like he had raked his hand through it. To make matters worse, there was no curtain on the window that illuminated the whole hallway.

"Scouting the area."

"I through that was what Ken doll was for."

"It's not. He's not a lackey."

Isaac hummed dismissively.

"Down from your adrenaline rush now?"

"What do you think?" Isaac titled his head and smiled, not taking too kindly to his sarcasm. Richard only smirked at him. He let Richard lean down and kiss near his lip. Kisses were peppered on his round jaw and then his neck. He wrapped his hands around Richards neck and moaned. He laughed when Richard jumped at the coldness of his fingers.

"Took a walk with your friend," He panted out as Richard's large hands roamed over his body, ghosting over his nipples.

"He's not a friend."

"But he's not a lackey?"

"A colleague."

"Now he's a colleague?"

"Circumstances have changed."

That didn't alleviate Isaac's suspicions of Kenneth. Richard squeezed particularly hard at Isaac's hips, causing Isaac to arch his back some. He kissed Richard aggressively, feeling pent up and hasty. He let out a breathy laugh as he backed up for air.

"Loving his noir aesthetic. You think I have a chance with him?" Isaac laughed against Richard's lips as he was picked up. Richard pressed him against the wall roughly and bit on his lip, hard. He cursed and pressed his against the wall.

"Jealousy really is an ugly look on you."

Richard pressed Isaac's back flat against the wall so their eyes were level with each other, foreheads touching.

"Don't mistake disappointment with jealousy." Isaac's eyes lowered and they fluttered close. Being looked down upon was just as annoying as it was a turn on. Isaac wanted Richard to shut up. Richard's scent was enveloping him. Strong, fiery. He could feel his dick pressing on Richard's chest half-hard and shameless. Suddenly, he was moved from the wall and into the bathroom. The door was locked and he was put on the toilet lid. Richard didn't say anything after he told him to take off his sweatshirt. He bit the inside of his lip as he waited for the bathwater to rise. When Richard decided it was filled he picked Isaac up and put him in the tub, still dressed.

Isaac blinked and looked up as Richard finally pulled his sweatpants off. He soaked in the sight, wide thighs, strong arms, massive chest and all. Then, he looked back at Richard's v-line and where it directed his eyes. He was stroking himself lazily as he gazed at Isaac. Isaac never thought something so sleazy could look classy.

"I know control is something you have a hard time with. Especially with your mouth." Isaac was going to bite back until he saw Richard stop himself. "You want to prove me wrong?"

Isaac licked his lips and nodded. Sure, he and Richard liked to have their fight over power, but Isaac was frustrated and wanted to take his mind off of this twisted situation.

"That would be giving you what you want, no?" Isaac frowned, annoyed.

"Don't whine." Richard got into the bath and picked Isaac up, sitting him on his lap. Isaac, eager, sat up and moved to touch himself when Richard grabbed his hand. "Don't touch yourself." Isaac stared at him, annoyed, but Richard reached back and squeezed his ass. He repeated himself. Isaac huffed and dove in for another hungry kiss. He sat on his knees, hands on Richard's shoulders as Richard touched his dick and started stroking him. He moaned into the kiss, lips getting nicked. He whined and put his hand over Richard's. He didn't want to come that quickly. His protests were ignored as Richard called him disobedient.

Isaac moaned a sorry, whines getting more high-pitched as Richard stroked faster. "Lower your voice."

Isaac's voice hitched and he bit his lips as his toes curled. The heat pooling at his stomach kept growing, his breath catching and then it all stopped. He looked down, eyes blurry. Richard pinched his cock, stopping his orgasm. Isaac shook his head, sitting up and closing his legs. Richard forced them open them again and Isaac frowned as Richard stroked him lazily. He was stroking himself too. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for Isaac to make a response. When nothing came out of Isaac's pouty mouth he took the younger one's hand, kissed his knuckles and praised him. Isaac blushed and sighed as Richard pulled him closer, running circles down his back. As he was told to sit up straight, Richard took one nipple into his mouth, sucking on the water through the shirt, stroking the other. Isaac doesn't know why, but the act made him blush. He was soon told to lift up his shirt and his nipples were attacked again. Richard put a teasing finger circling Isaac's hole and bit on the sensitive spot on his neck. Isaac arched back, catching a shout as he buried his face into brown tuffles of hair. Tears fell down his face as he panted. Richard continued to sooth his back, hand preventing another orgasm. Richard's hand around him was starting to tingle from the sensitivity. He backed up, frustrated.

"Be patient."

Isaac nodded, holding on to his pride. Richard waited for him to calm down some, running his hands up his thighs. He reached for something and put it besides himself. Isaac whined, thighs trembling. The light touches were making him sensitive, his dick aching. The shorts didn't help either. He sat back, feeling Richard's own length teasing his crack. When Isaac sat down further, Richard tensed and held his hips, telling him to stop. Richard told him turn around and removed his soaked shorts, throwing the shorts over the tub and soon the shirt. Isaac moved to close his legs again, only to have the opened again, legs put over the edges of the tub. He covered his face as Richard licked at his neck, hands massaging the inside of his thighs.

"You want to spread yourself for him, now?" Isaac shook his head desperately, apologizing repeatedly, mind muddled. He starting begging for Richard to just fuck him already, albeit politely, but only got a finger pressing into his hole. Richard used liquid soap to alleviate some of the pain of the stretch. He added a second quick soon after and started scissoring inside. Isaac held onto his hand as it teased him. Richard whispered into his ear about his noise, bringing his fingers to the smaller man's lips. Isaac sucked absentmindedly, bucking down to Richard's thrust. He bit down when Richard massaged his prostate, arcing. Soon enough Richard's hand wrapped around his length again, stroking in sync with his fingers below. Isaac held on desperately to Richard's wrist, other hand biting his hand. His toes were curling again, back arching away from. Richard's chest. His moans were high pitched, caught in a pressing kiss until he was left shaking from the orgasm. Isaac couldn't open his eyes, as he rode the bliss out. That was intense, personal, scary. It was muchore than he wanted, but instead of yelling at Richard, he hiccuped as tears fell down his face. Kisses were peppered along his neck as he was soothed. He started to squirm when he came to his senses, worried about that his skin would prune if they stayed in any longer.

The water was drained as Isaac stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel. Even after Richard quickly washed himself off, Isaac hadn't moved. He jumped when the shower curtains were opened; Richard must have closed them out of courtesy, but they had made enough of a mess that it didn't matter. Isaac caught his eyes and then looked away. He picked up his wet clothes. His mouth opened and closed before he looked back, a conflicted look all over his flushed face. He wasn't expecting to be cuddled after or anything of that sort. No way. He frowned. It wasn't the same kind of senseless sex they had. Richard kissed him. Caressed him. Took care of him. It wasn't the same.

"We're leaving tomorrow, right?"

Richard's nod was all Isaac needed. He cleared his throat and stood up, muttering a good night.

He rummaged for a change of clothes in a different room, since it felt weird to walk around naked looking for some while his brother lay ill. He settled for a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. They had only moved over one house. He honestly didn't know how their clothes could have been as ugly as the interior design.

didn't realize that he was lost in thought until he found himself staring at the moonlight pouring from the open door. He quickly exited the room and walked back to the room Gabriel was in. He froze when he saw a figure in a chair besides the bed. Kenneth's back was turned to him, elbow to chair and cheek to palm, propped up and sleeping uncomfortably. Gabriel's harsh breaths were softer now. Isaac shifted his weight and worried his bottom lip in thought. He looked back at the closed bathroom door and quietly turned on his heels, heading downstairs to claim the couch for the night.


	5. Secrets

The small town that they lived in was forgettable and uneventful. The perfect place to hide a WP kid, Isaac figured. The dense forestry surrounding the area, the cul-de sacs, and short-stubby like buildings that gave the sun free reign of the sky. The local bank, supermarket, farmer's market, and, of course, the local high school. It was the kind of small town that had a bustling teen scene with mishaps and outside drama people brought in from the neighboring city. The kind of town that Isaac hated. A bubble. Artificial. A couple of favors on his part and Gabriel's blatant guy next door innocent charm won the hearts over of their peers from middle school into high school.

What a waste.

He shot at a body running towards their car and sighed, sitting up straight, back pressing against the ledge of the car window. He cursed when Kenneth made a particularly hard turn, pressing his skin into the car.

"Hey, I'd appreciate a warning next time, Kenny." He banged on the roof and looked back up. He frowned as they speed down the narrow street. He couldn't help but feel a near and dear sadness as the supermarket they visited often was emptied out and ransacked. He frowned when he noticed a body hurdle itself against broke glass to exit the supermarket. When the supermarket disappeared from sight, Isaac began to realize something odd. There were cars askew in parking spots. Some driveways were empty and houses looked like they'd been robbed, but not broken into.

"Why did people just leave with food?" Isaac shouted. He ducked back into the car and closed the roof. He rolled down the window as Richard pulled up some news reports on a few smart devices Kenneth had re-wired.

"People have been attempting to to pick up survivors in 6-wheelers or bigger. A pick up location must have been near if people didn't get in their cars."

Isaac felt sweat bead down the side of his face before falling off. People. These things were people. He knew these people. Isaac sat up again. He had to remove himself from this situation. He knew these people. He positioned his rifle, shot, and reloaded. He wanted Gabriel to see the town one more time. Not all of it. Just the part he was the hardest time letting go. He didn't know if it was a good idea after all. Isaac cursed again when a particular shot at a large woman splattered blood on him. Her usually pale skin was an off-putting grey and her blue eyes were n unlively grey. Isaac winced when she fell back, falling hard.

"Should've cut on the carbs, Mrs. Mayers." He sat back in the car and Kenneth rolled up the window. Richard handed him a tissue which he took harshly, complaining about running the risk of breaking out. When he was done, he looked at Gabriel. He looked paler than usual, an uncomfortable and pained look marred his restless features. Gabriel lifted up a hand, touching the window. That was when Isaac saw the street sign outside of the window, demanding that Kenneth make the next right. They couldn't help, but yell "stop."

When they were outside a light blue house, Gabriel was pawing at the door, nearling falling out until Isaac grabbed him. He cursed when a body had made its way to the door. He grabbed the handle and shut the door aggressively on the bodies' head until it stopped screaming and collapsed. He closed the door again and and Kenneth drove in to the front yard. They got out and ran into the house to evade the rest of the bodies that had caught sight of them. Isaac ran into the house, Gabriel in toll, and cursed as he turned around and shielded Gabriel's face and nose. Ashton's mother was laying over her daughter, bullet wound to the back of the woman's head. He looked away before he could take in anything else. As Kenneth and Richard filed in, the front door was closed and the curtains were drawn.

"Check the back door!"

Richard went to check the back door as Kenneth ran up the stairs. Isaac brought Gabriel to the kitchen. He tripped over a broken chair. The dining table was askew and a dent was made in the wall where it seemed to be pushed into.

"Look at me." Gabriel face was still downcast, a tear running down his cheek. "Gabe, you're not looking at me. Look. At. Me." Gabriel looked into his brother's eyes, his brown eyes seemed to brighten some before he blinked. He didn't say anything though, looking around with more life.

"Stay here." Isaac walked back into the living room and looked at the two women on the floor. Richard and Kenneth came back and picked up the bodies. Isaac told Kenneth to stop as he pushed Alessa's hair back. His hand froze as he stared at her cheek. He pulled his hand back.

"Um," He shook his head and recoiled, "They got her face." Isaac couldn't help the frown on his face as he stared at Alessa's body being dragged away. He looked around as the others started moving the bodies to the outside. Isaac turned back as Gabriel started mumbling something.

"We shouldn't have come back." He kept repeating it, as if the saying the words weren't real enough muttered. He moved from Isaac, running up the stairs, jumping up and down to reach the cord latched to a handle on the attic stairs. He grew frustrated as he wasn't tall enough to reach the cord. Suddenly, a hand reach out and pulled it down, bringing a set of stairs down. Gabriel's eyes landed on Kenneth for a moment, but they were dull. It was like he couldn't see what was there. That moment was brief as he continued up the stairs. Kenneth's gaze followed him, weary. Ashton's room was the same as they'd left it when they had packed his things before leaving for the trip. The room was painted in a dark blue, childishly drawn stars and constellations were scattered around the room. Gabriel almost tripped over a painted flower pot in the middle of the room. The faded stars on it split as the old clay pot cracked. Gabriel turned around to Isaac calling his name.

"Why are we here?" He wanted to be angry, wanted to be sad, but he just felt tired. He felt hollow, like a dark sky was swallowing him up and he'd rather it be this one rather than the one outside. He got on the bed and looked outside. Sunset hadn't come down yet. He left the window, basking in the heat pooling from the window and closed his eyes. He'd wait. He sat down on the bed, ignoring his brother's advances. Isaac didn't move until Richard pulled him downstairs.

Isaac sat down, trying to force away the anger rising from within. "Were heading west next. The nearest exit is about 30 minutes away. If we go now we can figure out how to avoid any blocks in the road and--" He was cut off when Richard put his hand on his shoulder, telling him to calm down so they could talk it through.

"Yeah, well I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now. You know what Gabriel is right now? A fucking liability. If we report back to the base, he'll be killed on a mission." Isaac was breathing hard. Or Gabriel would let himself get killed. Isaac shut his eyes at the thought. He knew they'd have to help figure something out, but to settle with the people who caused this in the e first place? He'd watch his brother die for nothing. He wanted to survive for his own sake.

"How are you taking this? Could you care any less?" He shoved at Richard, angry. He kept repeating himself, Richard grabbing his chin and pushing him against a closet door, ever the more calm as Isaac's face was red from his yelling. Richard leaned in and finally kissed him, causing Isaac to protest again, biting at his lip, but Richard didn't let up. All Isaac could do was claw at Richard's biceps. They seperated for air and Isaac breathed hard, feeling moisture on his face. He was crying. Ashton was dead. Gabriel was torn. They were alone.

"What are you doing?" He stammered. "My brother wants to fucking kill himself and your trying to get in--"

"This isn't about sex," Richard frowned. "The last thing a grieving person needs is your attitude. I know you're angry, but I want you to know that I'm not against you. Now, calm down."

Isaac wiped his face. Richard didn't move, hand now bracing the wall as he watched Isaac close his eyes and breathe. Isaac looked up at Richard through his lashes, voice caught in his throat. His cheek brushed against the light of stubble gracing the taller man's features.

His eyes fluttered back shut and he willed the fog from his mind. They were still close, still calculating. Still looking at him. His breath hitched, heart speeding up as Richard moved forward until Isaac's forehead was pressed against his shoulder as they embraced. Isaac calmed down, face tucked into the crook between the larger man's neck and shoulder. Isaac gripped held Richard closer until he calmed, eyelashes brushing skin. After a moment he hummed and bit Richard's shoulder, "Hmm." Isaac hummed and laughed heartily when Richard groaned. Isaac patted Richard's shoulder, commenting on how it'd be the best way to die--in the arms of--. Isaac paused and looked to the side. That doesn't sound right somehow, he thought. He wasn't going to die.

He looked up at Richard and smiled cheekily. Isaac removed the shades that were dangling on the collar of his shirt and placed them on Richard's head. "I think you've been staring at the sun for too long. Just worry about protecting those pretty green eyes."

"The prescription has worked other times."

"Ha," Isaac took a moment to laugh at Richard's joke. It was cute. Embarrassing, but cute. He reached up and patted Richard's face particularly hard, "Cute. You're gonna shave soon?"

He didn't bother to wait for Richard to answer and moved back, looking down the hall.

"I'm going to say my... condolences." It was awkward and terse, but Isaac was sure his tone told Richard to leave him alone. Isaac dismissed himself as he walked towards the backdoor. There was a door at the end of the hall. He opened it and found the women propped up respectfully. He looked at Ashton's mother and sighed. Her white blouse was regrettably soiled, but what grabbed Isaac's attention were the ill-fitting jeans snug around the girl besides her. He looked over to the young woman next to her and pulled back her hair out of her face. Her eyes were ashen and pale, so he looked below her bottom lip instead. He moved up to her cheek and grimaced, taking a picture of the grid of letters etched into her face. There was a crudely drawn horizontal line and a simple clock over the grid. It was a one-time pad. But Isaac couldn't find the cipher on her. He frowned when he noticed a deep wound leading from inside her shirt; blood had bleed through, but there wasn't any damage. He sat up, feeling thoroughly disturbed.

"Fuck... Alessa," He whispered. He looked at her mother with a sense of awareness. He didn't have to pull back her hair much to see the gapping wound. When he entered the living room again, Richard was messing with a first-aid kit and kitchen supplies.

"Do you have any gauze?"

Richard ripped apart duck tape and looked back at Isaac. He stood up and eyed Isaac, with a clinical gaze. Isaac noticed a pencil behind one of his ears. He must have been taking note of the supplies they had. Isaac frowned when Richard pulled out what seemed to be a pin that would otherwise hold a handgun together from his mouth. Why was he dismantling a gun?

"Are you hurt?"

"Do I need to be? Where did you get that gun?"

"... I don't think that these things can wield something as complex as a gun."

Isaac's eyes widened. That's right. Alessa's mother had a gun wound.

"Kenneth noticed a gunshot in the foyer. A wire-trap was set up." Richard put the gun back together. Isaac recognized it. It was a 9mm he used to see in Ashton's grandfather's display case. Isaac walked up to Richard and took the gun. He took it apart then put it back together. He looked inside the magazine. It was pristine. The magazine was empty, but there was a spare bullet was on the coffee table. Isaac pursed his lips. That old man couldn't walk, so how did the gun get here? Richard eyed him with a cool look.

"So, the agency might have guessed that we were coming here."

"That doesn't add up. We're days apart from that," He said, referring to the murder, "Their bodies were already locking up. Why would the agency target civilians? And move the bodies in that manner?"

For a moment, Isaac realized that Richard probably didn't have access to everything, even if his father was head of research. But he has Kenneth, neither is he naïve. Isaac moved back around the coffee table, grabbing gauze.

"She sure put in a hell of a fight. I don't think this puts them in an exactly favorable light, does it?"

Isaac gripped the gauze tightly.

"What was on her face?"

"What wasn't there?"

Richard didn't say anything and that put Isaac on edge. He needed to get rid of the pad and find the cipher.

"Kind of looked like it was burned... with a skin irritant. How could they have made it?" He picked up some disinfectant wipes and then a bottle of soap. He picked up a bottle of peroxide and hook his head.

"Right lye... lye is irritable, right? And phosphate."

Isaac dug around the kitchen and glanced back at Richard. He pulled out an oven cleaner and dishwashing detergent. He lifted them up to Richard's vision.

"You'll burn yourself. Or kill yourself inhaling that."

"I'm not a kid."

"Why are you making that?" Richard sat up, but Isaac gestured for him to not move.

"Prepping the cadaver, Doc."

"Or destroying evidence."

"You wouldn't want me on my bad side, Richard. If I wanted to hurt you, I would've gave you a heads up. You can keep a secret, right?" Isaac smiled.

Isaac looked around and pulled on some oven mittens and a towel. He thought for a moment and took the mitten off. He wore a pair of strewn rubber washing gloves then put the mittens on. He wrapped the towel around his face, but pulled it down and looked towards the stairs.

"Where's Ken doll?"

Richard sighed. He tossed a pack of toothpicks aside.

"Just say his name. And I'm not his keeper."

That meant he could've been snooping around. As long as Kenneth wasn't keeping an eye on Isaac, it was fine. He just needed to hurry. He pulled out a pot and quickly mixed the solutions together. He held the pot steadily and held out a peace sign as he walked from Richard. When he reached the bodies he placed the pot down and bent own. He cursed as he realized that he didn't have another rag to dab the laceration. He stared a the mitten and quickly dipped it into the mixture, bringing it up to the wound. He dabbed it and recoiled when it festerd. He repeated this a couple of more times until the letters were indistinguishable. He stared at the women in dismay and placed his hands together in a brief prayer. It felt odd. He coughed and got up, picking up the pot. He closed the door and walked to the kitchen, disposing of everything down the sink or in the trash. He smelled himself and gagged. He'd appreciate showering soon.

Now, Isaac passed by him and made his way up the stairs, trying to listen for Kenneth. He needed to look around Alessa's room. When he walked to the end of the hall, he noticed a cream colored door that was ajar. Isaac bit his lip. Kenneth just needed to make sure the coast was clear. That was all. He hoped that Kenneth didn't go snooping around. Gabriel quickly entered Alessa's room and looked for pen and paper. He looked at his phone and placed the device besides the paper on the desk.

"OMEZT," He mouthed the letters, "YQPUS. NAHCI. LBKGX. DVFRWJ."

Isaac sighed. He would appreciate a piece of gum right about now. He deleted the picture and stood up. He glanced at the door before taking a quick survey of the room. One of Alessa's closet doors were slightly open. When he opened the door, he saw one of her private school outfits hanging on the top of the door and not on the racks. The pressure on the hanger released when he pulled it from where it hung. It didn't take him long to notice the slash in the torso area, the white shirt bloodied. Isaac groaned. How was he going to explain the change of clothes to Richard? He looked closer at the skirt and it's hemming and compared them to the next one on the racks. Ill-fitting. That's what slashing up clothes did, he guessed.

Isaac backed up and closed the door, peering at each wall for a moment before his eyes settled on the large comic sans letters spelling "ALESSA." A family photo stood besides it. He took it. Above the words was a clock; both hands were on 1. He looked in the top drawer the letters stood on and touched the roof of it. He felt a piece of paper pull back. He grabbed the post-it note and quickly put it in his pocket. He exited her room and closed the door, making his way to the attic stairs. When he crept up the stairs he slowly poked his head up the opening. He paused when he saw Kenneth was sitting besides Gabriel with the window open. He was gazing outside as Gabriel's face was downcast, gazing at a jar inside a black satchel. Isaac couldn't see what was inside. The room was dark and the only thing letting in light was the window. Isaac looked between the two, somewhat suspicious.

"Can we leave?" Gabriel's voice was hoarse, as if he'd just finished crying. Isaac watched as Gabriel got up and walked towards him. He pulled the jar out of the satchel. He stopped in front of Isaac and showed him the jar. It had a crudely cut crescent moon on it. Below was another label. Isaac couldn't help but laugh, placing his hand over Gabriel's. He watched as Gabriel squeezed the jar tightly.

"Moon dust--I can't believe he kept this thing." It had been when they were around 10. Alessa's babysitter had told them the moon gleamed a certain color different days of the year, so she gave Ashton a bottle of rocks which had been mixed with blue holo glitter.

"Isaac--listen to this with me?" Isaac looked at Gabriel who pulled out a phone. It didn't have a cover on it, but Isaac would recognize the scratch on its back anywhere. "Please?" He looked back at Gabriel whose exhausted face looked as if it would cry, but no tears came out. They wouldn't come out. Isaac glanced at Kenneth before leading Gabriel to Alessa's room.

 

 

"Hey, Gabe--shit, if you get this then Kenneth's probably given it to you. I'm dead--all that... stuff." The voice stopped, but their harsh breathing filled the space.

"I don't think I can deal with this, Gabe, bud, I love you, you know that right? I--I think I'll let myself get bitten. It's probably better this way. If we manage to make it out of this--God, I don't want to see you get hurt," Their voice cracked from terror. "I can't even reach mom and Alessa from here."

They cursed. "But I don't want to get hurt too. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm--"

Knocking could be heard over the hurried breathes over the line.

"Ash? Are you alright? I guess you can put your zombie planning skills to the test now. But to a minimum. Let's make it through this first night, okay?"

"Right... Just give me 5, man."

"... alright." There was silence for a moment before more tears and silent whimpers.

The recording stopped.


	6. Normalcy

They hadn't actually learned about arms through the agency, but it felt good to put the blame on someone for the shit course their life had taken. It made him feel less of a monster. Though even that was a lie as the giddy feeling of bloodlust when wielding a gun returned in waves. Isaac cocked his shotgun and aim at a body that ran towards them from around the corner of an antique store. He planted his feet and braced for the recoil, grinning with enthusiasm.

"We don't have all day. We just need a couple of--"

"2 minutes."

He raised his gun and narrowed his vision, bracing himself for the recoil before shooting. He rolled his eyes when the barrel emptied out, swinging the gun around his shoulder, where it hung from the strap.

"Add another 'zine to the list."

Before he could take another shot, a bullet came from the west and impaled a particularly fast body. Isaac looked towards the truck where Kenneth reloaded and rolled his eyes. He worried about Gabriel who sat still and stared outside when he and Richard headed into the store. As much as Gabriel insisted on being fine, Isaac wanted him to back out for a few more days. He had finally read the code. Gabriel needed time before he could read it.

The sound of footsteps on broken glass drew his attention. He shot blindly, narrowly missing a vital organ and causing the hit target to collapse and start crawling. Isaac aimed to kill until someone's boot came crashing down on its head. He looked up and stared at the girl who looked up at him. Isaac couldn't help, but feel confused. It was almost unexpected to see someone actually fight back when everyone was usually cowering in fear. A grey mask covered her nose and below, but her intense eyes unnerved him. She redrew with a group of figures who ran from one building to the next. Isaac had to lower his gun when he noticed that the survivors they had seen were piling out. He wouldn't have thought much about it if they didn't have something grey on themselves. It reminded Isaac of vendettas and bloody tracks where betrayal dared rear its unwanted presence.

"Turf wars."

He lowered his gun and shook his head. He remembered something that made his stomach churn. People were forming turfs? If so, where was their base? Was the government doing anything? He turned around and cursed. So much for keeping hidden. An unsettling silence settled over the town.

"What is taking you so long? You might as well grab some face masks while you're at it."

Richard didn't say anything as he held up a bottle of pills. Isaac frowned.

"We have some. You were complaining about the heat." Richard was wearing one, as if to prove his point. He pulled out a black face mask and Isaac grabbed it.

No wonder, Isaac thought. It'd give him a weird tan if he stayed out for too long. Isaac looked back at the drugs Richard had stashed away.

"You're not going to dope him up with shit, Manny."

"It's only if he gets worse. If. I'm doing what I can."

"He doesn't need them." Isaac frowned.

"He won't need them. He's fine. Okay?"

He wanted to argue, but he trusted Richard's credibility with Gabriel's medical history. The doctors they were assigned to were all Dr. Soltra's workers. Of course, he would want Richard to know about Gabriel's condition. It annoyed Isaac, but it gave him a sense of relief. Richard urged him over to the car, pulling up the black tarp. Isaac checked the shotgun to make sure it was empty before tossing it into the back. He put the safety on for his pistol and threw it in the back, draping the tarp over again. Kenneth quickly drove away when everyone was back inside. Isaac frowned as he looked back at the town, where people were scattering. He sat down and looked at Gabriel who was still tracking outside as he held onto the jar. Isaac sighed as he leaned back and cracked his muscles.

"People were in that building."

Richard and Kenneth didn't move, but Isaac was pretty sure that their eyes were on Gabriel. He didn't point to which building specifically, but Isaac turned around and noticed people waving towards them as they drove away. He cracked a smile and leaned closer to Gabriel.

"They will be fine."

Isaac looked at Kenneth and frowned.

"If they had a combined 12 years of martial arts and self-defense, maybe..." Gabriel said, softly, "Or knew how to use a shovel, if we want to be fair."

Kenneth hadn't responded. So much for consoling. Isaac felt a certain kind of fear that he hadn't felt in ages. In his worse nightmares, Gabriel's hopeless eyes looked the same as if he were dead. Nothing had triggered him as hard since they were kids. The tarp that they placed over their supplies out in the back didn't show any distinguishable shapes, but Isaac knew what was under. He wondered if Gabriel wanted t trade in those twelve plus years for something different.

They stopped for gas not too soon after and didn't stop until they had exhausted it all. Isaac couldn't stay asleep as he watched Gabriel snooze in an uncomfortable position. He decided to take the wheel for the rest of the night.

Kenneth approached him. It was who-knows o'clock and none of them had a phone to check. Since the outbreak, news and social media had been censored, unreliable, and hectic, but they needed to keep their cool. So, they got rid of anything that could have been tracked. Anything that Kenneth hadn't tinkered with was a no-go. Isaac hadn't realized how bored he was until they decided to stop driving for a while. He felt an itching to skip rocks across the lake, but opted to sit still and glance at Richard and Gabriel on the other side of the lake. They wouldn't have walked this far just to attract attention to themselves. Isaac couldn't tell whether or not he enjoyed Kenneth's presence since they were both told to stay away.

"So, is this going to be a norm for us?"

Kenneth glanced his way.

"These logwood chats... No? Nevermind."

"We should recuperate for now."

Isaac had been leaning on his arm, but as soon as Kenneth finished his sentence, his chin slipped from its position on his palm. Isaac wanted to tease Kenneth for showing a little bit of a soft side, but it didn't particularly make him feel like the better person to tease a grown man for worrying about someone. Worrying about someone... Isaac's thoughts trailed off as he closed his eyes and sighed. He kept his lips in a tight line and watched as Gabriel's eyes wandered.

"Doctor's orders?"

"He'll cause more trouble down the road," Kenneth elaborated.

He'll be a burden, in other words, Isaac thought. Isaac took the time to stare at Kenneth. He looked as weary and rigid as any Special Ops agent he's seen. He traded in his black shirts for a loose long sleeve grey v-neck. The shoulder holsters he wore didn't particularly give Isaac "chill-vibes." Nor did Kenneth's crossed arms. This man stressed him out without doing anything. Isaac pressing eyes stopped at the beanie on Kenneth's head.

"You've been wearing that hat for the last week. What the hell are you hiding?"

"Nothing." Kenneth said. He gave Isaac a pointed look, as if telling him not to dare remove the hat. He removed the hat anyway and tossed it side. Okay, so he had nothing to hide.

"Asshole."

"..."

Isaac wondered what kind of missions Kenneth's done to have this kind of tolerance. He bit his lip before he tested Kenneth's patience; then, he spoke.

"... Did you notice the colors on those people we passed by?"

"Why?"

"Should we really be stopping with people who've gone rouge since things have gone to shit?"

"They won't be much of a threat to us unless we keep putting ourselves out there. They're more likely trying to decide if we're allies, so they'll be cautious."

Isaac rolled his eyes. Kenneth was saying that the turf members were more likely to drag attention to themselves by seeking their little group out. It made sense to be out sight, so they could watch the members walk by and be at an advantage. Isaac knew they would be fine so long as they didn't bump into people with the right wits and weapons. For now, everyone was relying on mob mentality to gain lackeys or to be lackeys with their safety guaranteed. Great, resistance on top of the bodies they we're dealing with.

"So long as major institutions are protected, we'll have the upper hand. I don't think makeshift groups are going to be a threat to anyone but themselves."

"Isn't it your obligation to kill the resistance."

"We are part of that resistance."

"...Wonder what that makes us now."

Isaac had a feeling that they ended up clearing up the town since it was so small. That meant the turf members would either come and recruit them or kill them. Isaac was hoping that they were intimidating enough for the latter to be so very not a possibility. Gabriel sat up and looked towards them, which drew his attention. Isaac couldn't see his facial expression, but he waved back when Gabriel did. Isaac made a move to leave, but Kenneth shifted and blocked his way.

"What did you see in that house?"

"Wow, Midnight, that's kind of bold..." Isaac gave him a once over, " Nothing you didn't."

"The burns on her face were fresh. You didn't bother masking the smell. You are hiding something."

"And why do you think that?"

Isaac would rather die than part with the family photo. He hid the post-it note and the letter sequence for the one-time pad in the case. It didn't take a genius to look there, especially if they knew that the photo was a thing. It also didn't take a genius to piece together what Isaac did. He just had to blur the trail for Kenneth.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Midnight. There was a message. I don't know it is, though. Maybe a discount for Sephona?"

Kenneth's hard gaze didn't change.

"I'm sure you're smart enough to know that I wouldn't have told you it even if I did know what it was."

Isaac froze when he heard some rustling. He looked at Kenneth who didn't seem bothered. Isaac felt a blush creep up his face as he avoided looking at Kenneth. It was only a deer.

"You've been stressing yourself out."

"That's funny, coming from you."

"I have my ways of coping."

Isaac couldn't help but glance at Richard then back at Kenneth, considering his words. That... didn't feel right. He sighed. He wanted to be there for Gabriel.

"We've been cramped in a truck for days. I can honestly say that I haven't seen your coping. Unless you get turned on by turning heads." Literally. When Kenneth didn't say anything, Isaac shivered.

"You weren't a hitman in the past life?"

Kenneth disregarded Isaac's comments.

"I mark places I've traveled."

"Like memorable places? On a map?"

Isaac hadn't seen a physical one around. He might have been recording things on the devices he was tinkering with.

"Do you have photographic memory?"  
Kenneth shook his head.

"Hyperthymesia?"

Kenneth pointed across the lake.

"Your brother."

"He hasn't said much... lately."

"He doesn't have to."

Isaac looked at Gabriel. He wasn't holding on to the jar anymore and his eyes were closed. No one was talking for a while. All the staring that Gabriel's been doing was his way of taking things in? Isaac was worried that he wasn't focusing on anything at all. How much has Gabriel been keeping to himself?

"I..." Isaac stood up and made his way across the lake.

"Isaac?"  
"Hey, Gabe..." He glanced at Richard.

"Are you... done?"

"Yeah."

They both looked at Gabriel who picked up the jar and tucked it away.

"I know what I have to do."

"Do what?"

Isaac tucked on of Gabriel's lavender locks back. The roots were starting to grow out. Isaac couldn't feel his own hair tickle his neck anymore. They would need a haircut eventually. Gabriel only smiled, so Isaac didn't push any further.

"We're going to take a break... I guess. To give you time."

"Stay...? Here?"

"... when you were looking at those people back there... did you see anything?"

"You didn't notice? They were heading to a car garage. I thought that's why we stopped in the forest."

Isaac looked back, but he didn't see Kenneth. It actually chilled him to think that there were actual monsters lurking around. They sat in silence as they waited for Kenneth to come back. Isaac watched Gabriel as he stared into the lake. It was murky, so Isaac wasn't sure if Gabriel could even see a foot below the surface. The calm look on his face told Isaac that he was calm.

"... How long are we staying?"

"Two nights," Richard finally responded, "There's some lodging up the hill. The only reason why we probably haven't been chased is because they don't want to risk bringing any unwanted attention to themselves."

"One of Midnight's secret hideaways? How cool."

"It's safe," He responded coolly.

"From what?"

"..." He didn't reply, but his gestures implied that they get up and take a look for themselves.

Richard stood up. Isaac turned around as he watched Kenneth make hand movements. There was a bag or two slung around his shoulders. Isaac rolled his eyes as he held out his hand to Gabriel. Gabriel look at it for a moment before placing his hand in Isaac's. When the reached Kenneth, he threw something to Richard and handed him one of the bags. They followed him up a trail that Isaac was sure to forget without putting the effort into memorizing. When he glanced back at his brother, he let out a sigh of relief. Gabriel seemed to be too exhausted to be as aware as he usually is, through Isaac didn't think it would trigger much from him. Kenneth counted five minutes and sixty seconds when he realized they had stopped. He blinked and almost blushed from embarrassment, but realized he had said that in his head. It had taken them about six minutes to reach the front of the hide-out. The ceiling looked like it would cave in any moment and a few windows were smashed. Kenneth urged them to follow him around back and into a high boarded up window. Kenneth pulled the boards out of place and they could hear it land on the ground inside.

"Hella creepy, Midnight," Isaac didn't hide the unease in his voice It was like he was being handed over to WP all over again. He shouldn't have felt frightened, but he couldn't help but squeeze Gabriel's hand and shield him from the others. They would never know which safe house it was that they were dropped off at, but Isaac couldn't deny the feeling of familiarity, if not with the building then with the situation. There doesn't seem to be a garden in sight or fences for a backyard. Gabriel didn't seem to react, so Isaac figured he as either too off-guard or had forgotten what their safe-house was like. Isaac ignored Richard's glance and walked up to the window.

Kenneth climbed up the brick wall. He must have landed on something from inside because he was tall enough to reach over and assist Gabriel in climbing up. Isaac followed and then Richard.

The inside was entirely different. The caving in ceiling was nowhere to be found; instead, Isaac looked up at cream colored walls, vents, and modern interior decorations. Furniture was scarce, but there was a couch and a small kitchenette. There were two doors at the end of the hall. Isaac checked that they both lead to narrow bedrooms. The beds didn't look like they'd fit either Kenneth or Richard comfortably, but that Isaac could understand. It was suffocating, almost, since there were no windows, but it was designed to be forgettable. There was a huge space between the exit, kitchenette, and the other rooms. Isaac relaxed.

"They don't happen to remodel each year, do they?"

"Just the exterior. Things usually get shipped around then resold."

Isaac nodded. He didn't feel hungry. He didn't suppose that anyone felt hungry. Nor did he want to keep Gabriel up any longer. He walked over to a third door adjacent to the bedrooms. It was a bathroom. The door next to it seemed to holding some weight and Isaac swore that he would leave altogether if it was a dead body. But when the door finally gave way there was a large and heavy dark blue mat that rolled out and swept up air as it fell flat and over itself. Kenneth bent down and picked it up, lining up u against the wall

"A sparring mat."

That must have been what the space was for.

"I guess we can test it out. You've ever broken a bone before?"

"No, I'm not looking forward to breaking one."

Isaac almost didn't want to believe it, but he saw the beginnings of a smirk on Kenneth's face. This was probably one of his other hobbies. They needed some kind of exercise besides wielding heavy guns and life-or-death combat.

"Can I take you up n that offer?"

"Sure?"

Isaac smiled back an let out a large and dramatic yawn, reaching over his head and stretching. He walked up to Gabriel and put his head on his shoulder.

"I'm tired..." He patted Gabriel's head, as if trying to say that he's been doing well so far and Gabriel agreed that he was equally as tired. Isaac looked over at the couch and pointed at it without merth.

"You think we can roll out the couch?" He didn't wait for an answer, looking for a lever and pulling on it. When it rolled up and out and smiled. Then, he looked over at Richard and Kenneth. "Dibs on the couch."

"Wasn't going to say anything."

"Yeah, that's why I said it. Lighten up, will ya?"

Isaac walked to closet to see if there were sheets and pulled a light one out. He walked back to the bed and turned towards Richard and Kenneth who stood there with contemplative looks. Isaac raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused.

"Oh, sorry. Do you two really want to take the couch? Gabe's sleeping with me."

Richard and Kenneth stared at each other before making their way to the the other bedrooms. Isaac raised his hands in exasperation as he watched them head to their rooms. It wasn't rocket science, he thought. When he sat, he felt the bed dip as Gabriel made himself comfortable. Isaac followed suit and felt his muscles scream when he went lax on the rough comforter. He couldn't turn over, though he wanted to see Gabriel's face. When he closed his eyes, he couldn't help, but think about the woman he'd made eye-contact today. She wasn't trying to tell him something--just a look couldn't tell him if she was part of the agency or not---but he suddenly felt as if he was taking things to slow. Isaac cursed silently, sitting up and looked at the closed doors. Then, he glanced at Gabriel who was curled in on himself.

"Gabe?"

There was no response. If it was intentional, Isaac understood. crawling across the bed and over Gabriel, testing the floorboards before getting up. He didn't get much far from the bed when someone grabbed his arm. He looked down at Gabriel who gazed at him with tired eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Isaac glanced at the bedroom doors again and sat down on the bed.

"Aw, now you want to pay attention to me" Isaac bat his eyes and moved in to hug Gabriel, but Gabriel wasn't falling for it.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" It was lower and demanding.

"Sneaking out while the 'rents are asleep."

"... Isaac."

Isaac sat up straighter. "Gabe, I don't think we should stick around them much longer. We don't need to."

"What? Why?"

Isaac looked at the satchel around Gabriel's shoulder and moved to take it off. Gabriel flinched and tightened his grip, which made Isaac's heart sink. He removed it successfully the second time and placed it gently on a night stand.

"When you're ready to let go, I'll tell you. I promise."

That didn't sit comfortably with Gabriel, Isaac could tell. He fished through hs pocket and handed Gabriel the pieces of paper he had. Then, he put them in the satchel.

"'Do not look at it until you're ready to get rid of the jar,'" Isaac whispered in Korean. It was the first time in a long time that either of them had used it. Gabriel stared at Isaac, who slipped back on to the bed next to him, wide-eyed. Isaac sighed and brought Gabriel to his chest.

"This is why I didn't want to say anything. I'm not sleeping until you do."

When Isaac woke up, he was looking at the nightstand, but nothing was on it. Isaac couldn't help but scowl as he sat up sluggishly. He rubbed his face and sighed. Although rested, he felt dirty and out of place. He looked to the side of the bed. Gabriel wasn't sleeping there and the satchel was gone. It was hard not to notice everyone sitting on bar stools around the table separating the kitchenette from the rest of the room. Everyone looked tired. Kenneth must have run his hands through his hair a couple of times, so it was slick back and sticking at weird ends. His hat was gone. Richard always looked presentable as if he was ready to work or golfing. The live-or-die situation added a little more edge to his features and literally his clothes. They needed to throw out clothes more often for getting caught in deadly grips than on house appliances. Gabriel probably just toweled his head since his soft hair was fluffed up and unruly. His bangs hid his eye as he slouched.

"What time is it?"

"12: 36," Kenneth answered.

Isaac stared at Gabriel who picked at the plate of food in front of him. Then, he looked back at Kenneth and Richard who were lost in their own worlds. Kenneth was tinkering with more technology as Richard checked their medical supplies. The room was otherwise quiet. Isaac had honestly never seen something so mundane and lifeless. It scared him. He sat up.

"You know, a month ago I could have been shopping for the latest seasonal look. Working to get that new car I wanted. Hell, I could've been a camp counselor."

"Didn't know we were playing two truths and one lie."

Isaac turned around and smiled at Richard cheekily, annoyed.

"My morning were supposed to look like this--!"

Isaac pretended to open curtains and then a window. Then, he walked over to the kitchenette and picked up a random mug, acting as if he was pouring something in. He stomped back to the pull-out bed and sat on it, crossing his legs and humming obnoxiously.

"You know! With a face mask and everything!"

He flopped back on the bed and groaned.

"You were expecting...."

"I dunno. Maybe taking over a 5 star resort and waiting there for all of this to blow over. All we've done was check out a couple of abandoned places. I mean, free access to a fair and goodies, a plus. Could use a little less unwanted guests."

"You've got to rework that plan, Isaac."

"You've got to rework that plan, Isaac."

"If I really wanted to go, you'd make it work, wouldn't you?" Isaac muttered under is breath. Isaac wanted Richard to give him a response, a look, at least, but Richard didn't entertain him.

Isaac closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he stood up and rummaged through the bags Kenneth brought. He picked out his clothes and toothbrush and stomped towards the bathroom. Since there was only a shower, he Isaac took less time in the bathroom than he usually would. He placed a damp towel around his neck so that it could soak up the rest of the water that dripped from his hair. He stared at the barstool next to Richard and picked it up, placing it between Kenneth and Gabriel. Gabriel slid a warm plate over to Isaac who was unrelenting.

"Good afternoon?"

Isaac simply sighed and hugged Gabriel. Gabriel wrapped his arms around Isaac.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I should be asking you that."

"I want the beach and the sun," Isaac complained, but it wasn't as enthusiastic as he wanted it to sound. "So, yeah, maybe I'm getting delusional."

He sat up and ate. No one was going to bring up the energy otherwise. Isaac looked up and pointed his fork at Kenneth.

"Sorry if I missed the memo, but what exactly are you doing?"

"Contacting a friend."

"Are they into charades too?"

"Stop being a bully." Isaac couldn't help but glance at Gabriel who cracked a smile.

"Aw, Gabe thinks I'm funny."

"No, you're just rude."

"Touche."

Isaac picked up a strawberry and finally took the time to notice the technology in Kenneth's area. He was so focused on it, that Isaac thought it was a good time to break the silence again. at Richard.

"What's the plan for today, Doc?"

"Gabriel and I are going to continue therapy. Kenneth is finishing up his communications device."

"Who are you trying to contact?"

"He's a weapons specialist."

"And he happens to be in the same direction that we're heading?"

"Yeah, Arizona."

Isaac sat in thought for a moment.

"Is that a coincidence?"

"No."

"So young yet so ambitious. Or was it mommy that handed you all those contacts" Isaac teased, leaning closer to Kenneth. It didn't illicit a response from Kenneth, but Isaac had a feeling that, if his mother was anything like him, she would probably rack up a list of personal contacts in emergencies.

"He was recently transferred to a ghost town on the border between Arizona and the southern part of Nevada."

"He's not being monitored?"

"Not by the agency... there's no need to as long as he doesn't act out."

"How would they know that?"

"With time."

Isaac was more interested in the device Kenneth was working on. He had a strong feeling that he needed to get his hands on one of them, but with Gabriel under everyone's surveillance, he wouldn't be able to get one soon. He wasn't as good with code.

"I've never seen that kind of comms device before."

"It's meant for single-use."

"Wow, Ken doll, is that even worth the time?"

"Anything that can send radio signals can be tracked. So, yes."

"I totally failed that high-level programming class, by the way."

"Waiting for Gabriel outside of class doesn't mean you were enrolled in it..." Richard took a sip of his orange juice.

"Could've fooled me..." Isaac trailed off. He took a sip of the orange juice and almost spat it out. Pulp. He held back his disgust and drank it all in one go. He would have to ask Gabriel to see if he could remember what Kenneth did to pull the comms device together if needs be. Isaac thought for a moment longer until he sat up straighter and stared at Gabriel with a new found anxiousness. But not now. Richard sat up and started picking up the dishes, but Isaac offered to wash them instead.

"I'm going to tag along. I need some running space since we're going to be cramped in the truck again."

"We're not."

Richard pulled out a pair of car keys, but he didn't set them on the table since Isaac reach out for them.

"How the hell—"

"That's a secret."

"Honestly. I'm fine with that answer." He set his hand on the table with a content look, "What is it?"

"An RV."

"An RV—Ken doll-- has space. I'm all for it. Can we go see it," He asked before turning to Gabriel and saying, "Don't you want to check it out?"

"... Sure."

Isaac had the largest grin on his face as he turned back to Richard.

"I'll clean up."

"No—I'll do it. But...wait for me?" He smiled at Richard, waiting for a response. He leaned forward and waved his hand in Richard's face. He seemed shocked that Isaac was willing to touch the dishes. It was refreshingly cute. Isaac wanted to laugh, but he decidedly took the towel from his neck and tucked hair behind his ears. He put some plates in the sink and stared at them for a moment, collecting himself and his priorities before turning around and waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, that's fine..." And he took a seat.

"Great," Isaac replied, turning back to Gabriel.

"You won't mind waiting, Gabe?" Isaac pressed his cheek to Gabriel's and held him against his will. He looked down at Gabriel's lap where the satchel lay. Gabriel needed to let go and do it soon, he thought. Isaac was staring at the satchel so long that he didn't realize that Gabriel replied, but he snapped out of his thoughts when Gabriel started playing with his fingers nervously, fumbling with the jar. He was still pressing against Gabriel, so when he moved away, blood that had rushed to the surface of Gabriel's freckled cheeks eventually faded away. Isaac sat up and smiled, ruffling Gabriel's hair. Isaac tried to make light conversation, so that he couldn't scream about how gross soggy eggs were.


	7. Moon Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note
> 
> So, for the earliest people reading this story: you might notice that the pacing or the tone of the story will start to dramatically change. That is because I started making a lot of changes to the story so that it wouldn't have been as crappy as it was before. But, alas, it still is until I sit down and really revise it. I began to care less about sexy times and became more invested in developing the actions of the characters and how they would lead themselves to where they will end up. So, although this story is explicit, that is only the start of the story until I decide that I want to change certain details.
> 
> I'm not for interruptions throughout the story, so this will be the last you hear from me in this book!
> 
> Thanks for reading!

When his younger brother declared that they were on a road trip instead of running for their lives, Gabriel realized two things: all and very little changed with their lives. Things like electricity and plumbing were still on, which meant that specific buildings had either been secured by government officials or other survivors. However, people who weren't as lucky were running for their lives or taking advantage of the chaos. They happened to be doing both. Although the truck was still perfectly fine, they left it behind in favor of a spacious RV Kenneth came across in his exploration of the area. Gabriel appreciated the space silently. It was small and rustic with a bed, a couch, and a small sink area with a pull out table.

Gabriel didn't take sadistic pleasure in seeing Isaac and Richard walk eggshells around each other, but he definitely noticed it, so when it came time to go to sleep, everything was twice as awkward than it should have been. He was helping Isaac clean out blood from his hair, which was definitely a deciding factor for cutting it, when Isaac walked over to Kenneth who was sleeping, cross-armed and frowning. Isaac was going to smooth out the creases between Kenneth's eyebrows until Kenneth caught his hand. Isaac was being a tease, but, in reality, it didn't look comfortable.

It wasn't as if Isaac and Richard had gotten into a fight, but they had changed priorities. He didn't have much say in much until he finished his sessions with Richard. Kenneth had just settled with sleeping on the chairs, which did not look comfortable even if they were padded.

"Okay, you guys can have the bed," Isac said as he placed the blanket on to the couch's bed. He had suggested that they switch the one they had out for one that could pull out into a bed.

The first time Isaac proposed the idea, as passive as Kenneth and Richard were, they still managed to look at each other as if they'd break a sweat. Still, no one had a better idea. Isaac broke into laughter as he watched them swallow their pride and sleep facing away from each other. Gabriel didn't say anything when Isaac kissed Richard on the cheek. It made him feel better, knowing that nothing had changed.

He didn't like the ease with which Isaac was taking everything, but that was how Isaac was all the time. Isaac was the stronger twin. Perhaps not in everything. Gabriel could definitely win-out in sparring and was more technologically gifted, but Isaac had a way of manipulating people and making light of situations. The latter applies to their current situation.

"Does anyone know how to fly any kind of aircraft? Oh, Ken doll, you don't happen to have a pilot on your list of contacts, do you?"

They'd been on the road for about a month at this point. Before the safe house, they had made previous other stops. RIt wouldn't have been a road trip without actual destinations to explore. Richard suggested a nearby range. When they'd gone to this farming area, they found that animals were fine, if not starting to suffer from starvation or overeating with no one to monitor where they went. They ended up staying at the owners' house. Kenneth was outside nearly all the time, however. No one gave him company, though it might have been because he was trying to make himself useful while Ricard administered therapy and Isaac was busy keeping a close distance on sessions.

When they stumbled on an abandoned fair, Isaac's suggested that they stop, everyone busied themselves clearing the area, but Kenneth busied himself the most. Again. When the area was safe enough to play, Kenneth rejected almost all of Isaac's invites to play, opting for look-out instead. Kenneth kept his distance, but was watchful. When it was Kenneth's turn, he shrugged it off. So, Isaac suggested some abandoned ice rink. It didn't take long for Gabreil to fall. His knee throbbed and there was a small cut from the shaved ice that was bandaged up, but he didn't complain. Gabriel watched curiously from the stands as Isaac begged Kenneth to teach him how to skate. Gabriel had bumped into Kenneth later that day when they were packing up. It came as a surprise, but he realized that he hadn't spoken to Kenneth in a long time. Kenneth asked him if he was alright. Gabriel nodded and took the Kenneth moved on to whisper something to Richard. It is must have been a habit of thiers. Then, they found the town with the safe-house.

Gabriel sighed as he picked at the bandaid on his knee. It was already June. The only reason he knew this was because Isaac had brought up how meaningless diplomas were right now. It didn't make Gabriel feel better, knowing that commencement day had come and go. Weeks ago, they were celebrating Richard and the seniors' accomplishments. Now, staying alive seemed more of an accomplishment.

It was an odd couple of days. Every time he ate, he ended up feeling overwhelmingly tired and would be out for hours. It was like his body was stuck dreaming and reality was out of reach. It wasn't until Isaac recklessly set off an alarm in a supermarket, that they quickly stopped their frequent stops. When they did stop, they only did so to resupply things or freshen up, but that wasn't often. News quickly became pointless. They didn't know if they were at risk of a mob moving into the areas they drove past. Even worse, who knows when they would meet other survivors. Gabriel gulped at the thought. Isaac continues, inquiring about whether or not they should just fly over instead of driving there.

Kenneth shook his head.

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Right, blacklisted.

Gabriel felt weird again, like he was choking from being underwater. He opened the satchel and gripped it with a crestfallen look. He couldn't bring him back. He closed his eyes. He couldn't bring him back. Gabriel didn't know how much longer they had with each other, whether dead or alive. He needed to have a cool head.

Everyone fell silent. Gabriel held onto the satchel around his shoulder and jumped slightly when Isaac put his legs over his thighs. He looked at his brother, but didn't get a look back. Isaac's sock-clad feet smoothed over each other absentmindedly as he argued with Richard about places they could stop by; Richard bickered back, shooting down nearly all of his ideas. Gabriel relaxed some.

"We're going to keep avoiding cities. Too many people will be there."

"Yeah, so will the good shit. Come on--the nearest Stacy's is probably miles in that," he threw his thumb over his head behind him to emphasize, "direction." He wasn't serious, but his point was taken.

"And bad company."

Gabriel's eyes were still glued to the road. They already exited the I70. That was when Gabriel spotted a mall in the distance past a welcome-to-the state sign. He sat up straighter. Isaac noticed as well; he turned around on the couch and and turned everyone's attention to the mall. Isaac couldn't help but notice the way Gabriel kept his attention on the mall. Isaac asked Richard why he wasn't stopping.

"Look again," He said. It wasn't being swarmed with bodies, but the fresh red painting the exterior suggested that it wasn't vacant. Windows were smashed in and doors were haphazardly broken. Store items were on the ground near the forced open entrances. As they neared another entrance to the mall, they noticed graffiti on a large deli reading "taken" in red and bold.

"Classy," Isaac commented. "We're going." He reached behind him and took the metal baseball bat Kenneth had discarded after they left the camp site. There were a few dents on it, but if it needed to be used, it'd do its job. When Richard didn't let up his protests, Isaac repeated himself.

"You don't have to go. But we are."

The red pieces of clothing confirmed their suspicions: it was another turf. They didn't look very organized, Gabriel thought. Isaac swung the bat over his shoulder as he addressed the cautious few. He put his hands up, as if caught off-guard then started laughing. Gabriel couldn't see his face, but he heard the smile in his voice.

"Mind if we do some window shopping?"

Gabriel sighed as he exited the RV. He hoped that Isaac would feign an injury or try something mellow, but Isaac was going to enjoy this as much as he could. These people looked frightened. Who knows if they would be acting on murderous intent out of stress. Isaac hummed as he skipped closer to a clothing store He was holding onto Gabriel and talking animatedly. Gabriel watched from the corner of his eye as someone ran towards them. Of course he'd be screaming, compromising his position. Isaac dragged Gabriel back and carefully kicked the man at his exposed side. Isaac turned around in time to see Kenneth slamming someone to the ground. They cried out and their weapon clatted away.

Gabriel looked up as someone swung a metal bar at him. Kenneth caught it. Gabriel came up from behind him and punched the man, watching him recoil. He grabbed the assailants hand and kicked his leg from under him, going down with him. Gabriel's dull eyes bore into the man below him. The metal bar clattered on to the ground. His eyes widened with a newfound awareness. These were... normal people. Isaac looked back to see that Gabriel had taken down someone else. He pulled Gabriel back and tutted.

"That's how we greet people here?" He looked around. It didn't look like they particularly had a leader. He figured that they were harmless and frightened enough to leave them alone for the rest of their visit.

"We're sorry!"

"Please help us! Our last leader was killed..."

"We ran here."

"No can do," Isaac lowered the hand of someone that had backed out of attacking them. He dropped his knife and started crying. Someone else cried out from behind "traitor." "Backstabbing a lot sweeter when I do it. Stand up, have some self-respect."

Gabriel frowned. These people probably haven't left for days. They probably felt as hopeless as he did. Isaac banged his baseball bat on a metal pole, the sound echoing a good distance.

He pointed towards the car and shouted a threat towards anyone and everyone who heard, "We're off limits, kay?" He sent a kiss back towards Richard and waved as they walked away into the store. Gabriel tried to ignore the scornful looks sent their way. The clothing store that they walked into was pretty much deserted, glass shattered inwards. Things were scattered and many off racks. Isaac turned to Gabriel and smiled as he sung along to the pop song still playing over the loudspeakers. Isaac stared at Gabriel who clutched himself, looking uncertain.

"형..."

Gabriel quickly looked at Isaac addressed him as the older brother endearingly in Korean. Isaac was acknowledging that he was the older brother. Gabriel prided himself on not caring about who came out first, but Isaac avoided formalities when they weren't needed. It had been so long since they spoke to each other in their native tongue. Gabriel practiced at home with their adoptive family and Isaac had only ever practiced with him, also at home. If anyone other than Kenneth or Richard snoped on them, the chances of anyone picking up anything was slim. Though Gabriel liked to think that Isaac wasn't doing it to be secretive.

"'Consider this a self-care date.'"

Gabriel thumbed his shirt, lost in thought.

"..." Isaac sighed and picked at a hoodie on the racks. He put it to his chest and raised an eyebrow. Isaac put a hand to his face, puffing up his cheeks. Gabriel watched Isaac think for a moment. Isaac snapped his fingers as he told Gabriel to wait and ran to one of the back rooms. Suddenly, the song the overhead speak changed and Isaac ran out.

"'Whoever left their phone has premium. Don't think they'd need it being--'" He paused and walked back into the room. Gabriel could hear a curse or two and shuffling as a heavy object was being dragged, he assumed. When he was back outside, Isaac didn't have hi sweater anymore and grinned. Isaac bobbed his shoulders in a slow, predatory, and ridiculous fashion before he brought his arm up, spun and offered it to Gabriel as he winked. He kept dancing, and sighed when Gabriel just stood embarrassed. He took Gabriel's hand a twirled him around, whispering one word.

"'How long does it take you to--'"

"'I'll pick the next song, just to test out how quick,'" Gabriel said I can get the rhythm," Gabriel said knowingly, following Isaac's instructions at the same time. It should be fine. Kenneth would make his rounds and make sure they were fine while Richard guarded the RV. Isaac couldn't have looked more pleased as Gabriel got his sequence of moves correct. He nodded and stomped, spun, and watched as Gabriel followed him a bit more, laughing.

"'Missed a step, big bro.'"

Gabriel stopped in his tracks, forcing Isaac to come to an abrupt stop as he looked at what startled Gabriel. A young woman was staring at them from the entrance of the store. She was shorter, but her bun gave her height. Her messy strawberry blonde locks cascaded around the sides of face. A red bandana was tied around her elbow. She had a huge smile on her face, but she radiated troublemaker. That was probably because a guy behind her was practically screaming that she stay back.

"Hey, cuties."

"Hiya."

"Hi," Isaac said flatly, staring at her friend who groaned and practically pulled his hair out, but otherwise stayed away.

"Where are y'all headin'?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I wanna ride. If you headin' to one of them safe houses, I wanna go."

Isaac moved closer to the woman who grew more adamant in her request, defensive. She stopped in her tracks, having taken the hint and walked around one of the racks. Gabriel seemed to stand taller and moved from Isaac's shadow.

"Safe houses?"

"Yeah, they been up on the news when we boarded the big buses. Then, they fucked us over. Left us here, stranded. Told us we'd have to 'fend for ourselves.'"

"All of you?"

The young woman shook her head, blonde stands swaying lightly She leaned forward on a rack, but she was too short, so se circled around and crossed her arms. "Just folks makin' a ruckus. My dumbass cousin got me stuck here. Knew visiting folks up in Boston was nothin', but trouble."

Isaac wondered if she was referring to the guy outside.

"Do you remember if these buses were government sanctioned?"

"Will you take me if I spill?"

"Yes."

"No."

Isaac looked at Gabriel with an exasperated look. No, they couldn't just ship around survivors. It wasn't their responsibility. They needed to focus on themselves. Isaac couldn't make it clear enough.

"Who's the oldest?" She asked with a curious and amused look.

"Look. We can't. Not with the others we came with."

"... those fellas givin' you a hard time?"

"Ah," Isaac laughed, annoyed now, "We can't take you. Are you seriously trying to bargain?"

"Well, duh. I'm tryna get out of a shithole situation just like you two," she pointed out, "Gimme the next best thing. Information."

"On what?"  
"On them ugly zombies fuckin' shit up," she said and put her hand on her waist. If they'd know each other before this, Isaac could definitely see himself hanging out with her. Yet, he couldn't help, but think of her as a conniving old soul, which made him wonder if she was actually older. She picked a dress from a rack that wasn't tipped over and smiled. Nice, huh?"

"The name," Isaac demanded. The young woman raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Hell if I know where them buses came from," She places the dress back on the rack, "Some of them were these regular ole fancy coaches we see all the time on the highway. Others had the label 'I.D.A' all fancy on 'em. Looked pretty official to me. Cuz and I got on the regular buses."

"Why?"

"Them I.D.A. people kept doin' a search. Askin' us if they'd seen a friend of ours. Then, they pulled others out by name an' left. Hella suspect."

Isaac didn't ignore the tugging on his shirt, but he couldn't help but get lost in thought. The young woman looked between them, almost fascinated by just being in their presence. Isaac nodded.

"...we'll give you information. But we need a distraction from sergeant and his lieutenant," Isaac rolled his eyes when Gabriel elbowed him.

"Ain't that funny? So do I. I've been plannin' on snatching up Jim's car since I he been flauntin' his keys..." She seemed to have more to say, but she just mumbled the rest and put it aside. She raised her hand and smiled.

"Abby."

"Isaac."

Gabriel looked at their hands then back at Isaac. They could ask Richard and Kenneth if it was alright, Gabriel thought, but felt as if the idea itself was incredulous. Or was that just ow Isaac felt? That it was easier to sneak around than to confront the issue. He wanted to know if this trail lead to something just as much as Isaac did, but he didn't want it to be more trouble than it was worth. Not that it mattered. Isaac's handshake was as good as his.

"I love me some twins," she said with a mischievous grin and pulled away.

Squatters and desolation. That was all there was around the strip mall. Despite the somewhat tidy appearance of the front o the mall, there was a pile of bodies, diseased and normal, haphazardly dumped at the edge of the forest where concrete ended and nature took over with annoying weeds and flowers concrete as if finding the nearest resources to exploit. Squatters set up camp here and though they looked desperate, they were holding on to things that not everyone had the fortune of having: comforters, a camp stove toaster, a few suitcases, hygiene products, and, oddly a pasta maker. Some of the appliances, he supposes, they used inside. Power hasn't' been an issue. Safety has. The necessary amount of weapons hidden poorly was proof of that. It was an oddest contrast of nature and technology. Richness and poverty. But Kenneth knew that in this unfortunate turn of events, even with their new unseemly statuses and willing surrendering, they had some wealth. Someone spat on the ground and another man grunted. Kenneth looked up and stared at the man who tried to get his attention. One of the men cowered when their eyes met, but a larger, more gruff-looking man with a grim look and untidy suggestion of a salt-and pepper beard glared at him with earnest and grim experiences. Maybe he was a veteran. Kenneth registered their words, but he couldn't read anything, but heightened fear from their increasingly agitated as they stared at Kenneth. Why are you here? Someone asked. Some hissed. He didn't feel the need to respond. His calm gaze drifted from the red articles on different parts of the human body, over other clothes or even pierced into skin. They told him to leave again, but he didn't have to be told. He took one more look at the pile of lost lives and headed back around the mall. There wasn't supposed to be a sense of urgency on this pitstop, but Isaac was well aware that Kenneth wasn't the kind of man to let his guard down. He quickly finished off his rounds and searched for the twins in the store they were in.

Richard sat in the RV, likely checking out the map they put together a few days ago. Kenneth rarely formed opinions of everyone. There was just facts. One of the facts he knew about Richard was that the man was born into leadership. Respectable. Calm and collected because Richard was a player who didn't have all the calls cards. Kenneth suppses that's what lead them here. And tall, physically, but in presence. Yet, he has seen Richard small. He didn't want to and Richard made a point not to show it. But Kenneth supposes that these are the moments that he chooses to be judgemental. Kenneth couldn't decide if he respected a man so easily affected by someone else. That made Richard as much as a liability as anyone else who has had the misfortune of being his targets and Richard Soltra wasn't a someone. Not in his line of work. But Kenneth wasn't trained to judge.

When he rounded the corner of the mall, he knew he wouldn't be able to meet Richard's eye and signal to him that he finished his rounds, so he walked a short distance, he eventually turned into the only tore with music blaring over the intercom. A man looked at him wearily as he stood outside the shop. Kenneth ignored him and stared at Isaac who was dancing with a lithe woman with blonde hair.

"You're missing the fucking half-step, geez. Gabe change the song!"

"Well, gee, so-rry, I ain't haveta dance unless my life is on the line."

"Well it is now, isn't it?"

The music lowered and Gabriel popped his head around the corner, looking weary and slightly pouty. He complained to Isaac and the woman about making him choose too many songs. He seemed brighter, much more responsive than he was weeks ago. It was the kind of progress that Kenneth understood fully just by being on the sidelines. He's seen comrade combating depression. He lost a teacher to it. But just like Richard, he didn't have all the cards. He's never been in the position to help. He's just watched and been a presence. He wondered if that was enough, though he wasn't in Gabriel's head, of course. He hasn't been in Gabriel's head for a long time.

"..." Gabriel stood up with a solemn look and a small smile. Kenneth wasn't sure why Gabriel turned around, but he did and their eyes met for the briefest moments. He didn't realize that he had been leaning on the door frame until he stood straight, glass threatening to cut his shirt. He lost his train of thought. He sighed and ruffled his hair, which was getting used to fresh air since it's been confined for a week or two. He stared at the ground for a moment before a pale hand waved under his face.

"Hey, Ken doll. Stop stalking us."

Isaac waved at the woman who walked to the jittery man who whispered to her. She scoffed and told him something to which he walked over to a shopping cart. She let it roll it to Isaac after a forceful kick. She blew Isaac a kiss, who winked at her, and walked away. He glanced at Kenneth and ran back. Kenneth looked at Isaac with an accusatory look.

"Don't you make friends on the road?"

Kenneth didn't care right now. "... We're leaving at dusk."

Isaac waved his hand. "Yeah, okay, well, don't haunt us. I'm sure you need to get some shit of your own. I'm pretty sure this baseball will do just fine if you're not around."

Gabriel walked up to Isaac. He was still clutching the satchel, but with more resignation and calmness. Kenneth kept his glances short and shook his head. He didn't accept Isaac's notholance. He'd keep a close eye on them and everyone else. Isaac shrugged and took Gabriel's hand, leading him to the cart.

They took whatever they wanted to from that shop and loaded it into a shopping cart. Isaac was convinced that he could roll it with Gabriel inside. Gabriel didn't realize how obnoxiously loud Isaac was being until he noticed a few weary survivors whispering and glancing at them. They rode into a game store that was next to the clothing store. Then a restaurant and so forth and so on. Time had rolled around to 5:30 in the evening, which was weird. Isaac couldn't entertain himself in a small this small for that long. They'd brought two shopping carts back to the car and noticed that the others weren't there. They'd probably taken off once they realized that no one wanted to get on their bad side. Gabriel turned around to find Isaac staring at the back of the stripmall's sign. There must have been a shop that he was interested in checking out because he told Gabriel that he'd be back.

"Does your date normally ditch you like that?" He muttered, but if Isaac heard, he continued on. Gabriel looked behind the car. The sun had set by now, but the area was lit up by lights scattered around the mall's lot. Some were smashed, but the remaining illuminated something. He opened the door and opened the window, leaning his hands there for a moment. He looked around until his eyes drifted back to the sky. In this this area, the faintest amount of stars could be seen and Gabriel soaked them in.

"Finished?"

Gabriel felt like his heart had jumped to his throat when Kenneth appeared on the other side of the window. He must have been lounging on the other side RV. Kenneth apologized, when he noticed Gabriel's startled look. Gabriel shook his head dismissively and closed the window. He exited and closed the door, where Kenneth met him, throwing the plastic end of a lollipop away. Gabriel wouldn't have expected that a guy like Kenneth to smell so sweet, but he did and it wasn't a problem.

"What's wrong?" It came out by instinct. It was unintentional. He had been around Kenneth long enough to starve off his cravings, so candy became a cue.

"Nothing." Gabriel looked down and pursed his lips, surprised that he felt angry. He was angry at Kenneth. Angry that he would have to forgive him. They stood silently for a moment as Gabriel fumed silently. Kenneth sighed and ruffled his hair before speaking up again.

"Do you have time?"

What was the point of being so angry? It made everything hurt all over again. Gabriel let out a deep breath as he tried to remember the last time they had spoken. He looked up and nodded slowly. Usually Kenneth was meddling with something, looking out the window, even eating candy. But he was almost always silent. Almost always following Richard's instructions. If anything, Gabriel has been so lost in his own thoughts that Kenneth was like a piece of furniture.

"The--"

"It's fine," Kenneth said as he pointed behind himself. Richard was making his way back to the RV. He handed Gabriel a candy bar as he made his way inside.

They went into one of the stores and into a back room. Kenneth pointed to a set of stairs leading to a door with a broken lock. He opened it and revealed the dotted navy sky outside. Gabriel went up, realizing that they were now on the roof. He stared up at the sky. It wasn't as if the stars were magnified just by being a little further from the ground. They were just as far away as they were when they were on the ground. He brought his gaze back down and saw that Kenneth was sitting on the edge of the building. Gabriel took a breath before joining him. Below, a few people were wandering around, not seeming to notice them yet.

"You looked like you needed the space," Kenneth said. Though it seemed more like a statement that didn't give an invitation to conversation. Gabriel felt grateful, clutching the Moon Dust jar. They kept quiet, just listening and watching nothing in particular. Gabriel couldn't stand it. Whether he tried to forget or remember too much, it hurt all the more. His mind was muddled, his throat felt tight, nose stuffy and face hot. He tried the breathing exercises Richard taught him, but to no avail. His forehead met the cool jar lid. It hurts. It hurts. He was clutching at his heart, hands shaking. He stopped abruptly when he felt a hand on his chin brought his tear stained face up. Kenneth looked at him.

"Gabe?"

Gabriel sat up when he heard his name from down below. He quickly moved back and pulled back Kenneth with him. He didn't say anything as he stuck a finger up to his lips. They didn't do anything for a while. Gabriel really hoped that Isaac had taken a hint. He blinked and lowered his hand; he couldn't help but laugh, covering his mouth.

"I'm sorry. I don't want him to see me like this."

That was a lie. Gabriel wanted nothing more than to cry on his shoulder because at least he knew it was Isaac. His heart was already on fire; he didn't need this getting to his heads. Instead, he wiped his face and smiled at the ground. His bangs had grown longer than he usually let them be and his brown locks were more apparent since he hadn't dyed it in well over a month. The curls hid his face whenever he looked down.

"I'm sorry that he doesn't call you by your name."

"It's fine." Kenneth nodded. Gabriel couldn't help, but smile. They were so unlike. That's probably why Ashton was dead.

"I... don't blame you for what happened. And I don't blame Ash for...for feeling trapped. But I don't think you should have helped him that way."

"He wanted to make sure you were safe."

What did you want, Kenneth? Gabriel realized that he hadn't said it outloud. He wanted to, but Kenneth wouldn't have said anything. He was a man who had little need for words, so that meant he kept to his thoughts. He has thoughts. Gabriel knew the answer. He wanted to believe he knew the answer. If anything, his silence confirmed his suspicions. Gabriel wondered when they'd gotten so mixed up together. When did he start expecting two different thing from the same person? Gabriel thought about the two papers Isaac gave him and cleared his throat, looking away.

"I didn't get to bury him properly. Would you mind helping me?" He moved closer to the edge and crouched, placing the jar down and the satchel besides it. He moved back, sitting and crouching once more before smiling. He held up his hands and closed his eyes before he gazed at Kenneth, as if waiting for him to do the same. The only way Gabriel had convinced Isaac to pray was by giving an ultimatum: if it was pointless, it was pointless, but if it wasn't, then at least they gave some kind of comfort and protection to the dead. But somewhere along the lines, Gabriel wondered where the ultimatum had gone. When he opened his eyes, the same bleary scenario was before him, but he felt drawn to the sky. He looked at Kenneth who still had his eyes closed. Gabriel couldn't have masked his movements even if he wanted to, but when Kenneth didn't respond, he spoke up.

"Kenneth..."

Gabriel watched the sudden movements behind his eyes and wondered what it was that he was thinking about or if he was overthinking.

"You can stop pretending now."

Kenneth opened his eyes. He turned his gaze to Gabriel and smiled sheepishly. Gabriel has seen a smile on Kenneth's face hundreds of times, but it felt new and different. It was a completely unexpected display of emotion that caused Gabriel's heart to flutter. He felt embarrassed for being so shocked that he couldn't help but laugh, a boyish and tooth laugh. Kenneth didn't seem to understand what was going on. He sat up and folded in on himself, covering his confused expression and heated face. When all was calm again, he looked up at the sky and let his gaze linger there.

"I have a feeling that he's one of those stars up there," Gabriel said lightly. When he closed his eyes, he could look past the surface of still waters. Breathing felt easier. Speaking felt easier. His heart felt lighter, but safe. He had to let go of that vulnerability. He wondered when he'd ever forgive and forget what Kenneth and Ashton did. Kenneth was a patient soul, but also a rogue one who acted out his own sense of justice. Gabriel oddly missed that, but so much more, he missed the Kenneth behind those smiles too. Gabriel could be patient too. He turned his body so that he could give Kenneth his attention for the first time in a long time.

"Thank you."

When Isaac called his name, Gabriel leaned over the rooftop and instructed him on how to get up. He leaned back and glanced back at Kenneth before getting up, which Kenneth followed suit. Gabriel quickly sat up and looked back at Isaac, trying to ignore the noticeable limp.

"No way. You totally did it without me. What the--"

"Stop. Think."

"I am thinking. I'm thinking that Kenneth keeps stealing my spotlight."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"I've gotta give respect where it's due. Don't get used to it." He shrugged then walked up to Gabriel and looked up at Kenneth expectantly.

"Privacy, please."

"We've wasted enough time here."

"I thought you choose your words carefully," Isaac frowned. He knew Gabriel didn't like to be handled like fine lass, but it made things a hell of a lot easier when Kenneth made the wrong choices. Kenneth glanced at Gabriel, his scrowl melting some as he regarded the older twin.

"That's not what I meant."

"Enlighten me, then, on what you did mean."

"The sun's already down. What are you not telling me?"

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"You wouldn't need to cut the cameras in a random location we'll likely never be at again, if you weren't hiding anything."

"What motive would you have for checking the cameras of a place you'll lively never be at again, if you weren't looking for something?" Isaac smiled and pulled back the his hoodie to expose more of his neck area.

Shameless, Gabriel thought, his eyes shying away from the hickey on Isaac's collar.

"I did you a favor ... in case you found something you didn't want to find."

Kenneth frowned. He inched forward, attempting to reach the bag, but Gabriel and Isaac stood in front of it. It was more of a warning than anything. Gabriel walked over to it and flipped over the the satchel, but nothing came out of it. Nothing came out of it. Isaac stared at him wide eyed and Kenneth stood straighter. Kenneth turned to Isaac and quickly reached for his arms. Even with the confidence to bluff, Isaac's reaction was delayed as he flinched and tried to escape Kenneth's hold. Kenneth didn't do much else than strike Isaac's lower back, causing him to crumple t the ground and whine.

"How'd you know?" Isaac pouted.

"The time it took you to get here from Richard," Kenneth started, fishing out the cell phone in Isaac's pocket, "You could have been done doing anything."

"Is that a hunch? Or just what you know from when you were peeping on us back at the safe house, asshole?" Isaac and Gabriel knew for sure that Richard could speak Korean, but Isaac wouldn't put it against Kenneth to have started learning sometime during his agency escapades or when he met Gabriel. Even so, they had been whispering. Were they being recorded? Gabriel hoped not. Isaac was still fuming over the fact that Kenneth had lied to Gabriel for years.

"Who were you trying to contact?" Kenneth said, directing his gaze to Gabriel who appeared to be crestfallen. The satchel was back at it's rightful place besides Ashton's jar.

"It's in the memo."

It didn't take ln for Kenneth to find it and enter the number into the keypad. When the phone rang, it suddenly transferred. There was a tense silence that fell over the rooftop as a loud click echoed in the night. The other person on the line remained silent before they let out a huff of annoyance that rang around the strip mall. Panicked voices rang from below and around the back.

"Just hurry up."

Isaac's burst of laughter was cut off with a groan in pain. He could hear Abby in the distance laughing. Kenneth hung up the phone and pressed the bridge of his nose with a scrunched up face of annoyance. He bent the phone back and tossed the phone over the edge before helping Isaac up. Gabriel held on to his brother's hand as he walked slowly down the roof and made his way out the store. Isaac apologized to everyone who were worried about how much noise they were making, reassuring them that they'd be fine as long as they stayed inside. When everyone filed in, Isaac looked up again.

"He's up there," Isaac said, pointing up to the second floor of a retail store. The second floor itself must have been added years after the actual strip mall was created, since it looked odd being the only two story building. Kenneth followed up behind the twins, his eyes trained on them and anything they might be intending to interact with. When they walked up the non-active escalator, Isaac lead them to the women's lingerie section of the store. Clothing were tossed all over the place, but what stuck out to him the most were the heaps of clothing that would otherwise belong to other sections of the store. Gabriel pushed away from Isaac who fell to the ground and whined. Kenneth tried to run after Gabriel, but was cut short by a piece of clothing that was wrapped around his torso. The attacker's grip wasn't strong enough, so when Kenneth grabbed their arm and twisted it, their hold came undone and they were tossed in the air and back onto the ground.

"Geez, Midnight, you're fucking scary," Isaac commented as he got up and ran without a limp. After his first sparring session with Kenneth, he knew more than anyone else that he wasn't capable of close combat with Kenneth. If their size wasn't already an indicator of that, then Isaac didn't know what else was. So, he choose to rely on other tactics, one of which was his lightness and speed. The store was circular in shape, so the twins would eventually meet on otherside of of the store. No one else got up to stop Kenneth as he ran after them. He saw Isaac running down the escalator and out the store. Unless they were running into another store, there was no where else for them to go, but the RV. There was no reason to try to break that open. Kenneth quickly turned around to get Richard out of the dressing room.

"Did you find it?"

"You're fine," Gabriel watched Isaac walk in without the limp.

"I wouldn't risk actually doing anything that would have made this fail. Gabe, did you expect something to happen? How risqué." Isaac cooed as he closed the RV door, locking all other entrances, through it hurt that Gabriel wouldn't have put it above him. Gabriel rummaged through Isaacs's stuff before finding the framed family photo he'd taken, staring at it with awe. Isaac came up behind him and smiled ruefully. He took the frame and removed the photo, staring at it before handing it to Gabriel.

"You can keep it," He whispered. Isaac quickly removed the two pieces of paper that were pressed against the plastic protector.

"Where'd you put the dummy ones?"

"I left them behind when I went to check on the cameras."

Isaac nodded. He fished out another piece of paper from the bottom of his duffle bag. He unwrapped it and nodded.

"I decoded the message. It says destination-cali, alone, likely-safe, call-burner-number, and lastly, two-rings."

Gabriel looked up at Isaac with a anxiousness and anticipation. Isaac laughed and told Gabriel to calm down.

"I know. I know. But, I don't know the number. Gabe, did you pick up on something I didn't? Something? Anything?"

Isaac sat up and looked outside. He grew panicked the longer Gabriel was silent.

"Gabe, I don't--"

"I reached the house," Gabriel blurted out which drew Isaac's attention, "When we were trying to contact base. I connected to the landline to see if there were any messages."

Gabriel climbed the chairs, reaching into one of the overhead drawers and reached for Kenneth's bag. He pulled out one of the communications devices and inspected it.

"What?"

"It redirected me to Ashton's landline," Gabriel continued, "There wasn't a number there. Just a combination of words. Unknwn number."

"Okay... Okay. Try it!" Isaac backed up from the door where Richard and Kenneth were. Isaac grabbed Gabriel ad nnd ran to the bed.

Gabriel dialed the words into the dialpad and waited. Isaac sat anxiously and waited for the line to connect.

One ring.

Two rings.

The line picked up.


	8. Trapped

"Hello?"

"Oh, hey Gabe babe."

The twins stared at each other with massive grins. Alessa was alive. No, Alessa was alive and well.

"Alessa..."

"Not the waterworks, babe."

"Hey--"

"And you. Did you run to a resort and forget to call me? It's been so long since I've gotten a mani-pedi, I couldn't help, but imagine how yours were."

"Look, we don't have time for the bitchiness right now. We... we're with Richard. And, Dr. Soltra gave him a freaking nanny and they're both going to kill us."

"Why the hell did you go to his party? You told me you weren't going to his party. I've been trying to reach you for weeks."

Alessa cursed. Isaac looked at Gabriel then back at the door as a loud clunking sound echoed when something collided with it.

"We don't have time. How are we supposed to reach you again?"

Alessa paused.

"No, Isaac. We'd have all the time in the world if you weren't chasing a one night--"

"I--"

"I don't want to hear it. I'd gotten this new concealer. I figured I show it to you when we met after classes. I hid it in my top drawer."

"... so Ashton wouldn't mess with it."

"I know you're not into make-up, Gabe, but I hope you'll get around to trying it out--"

Alessa stopped talking, the banging coming from the door a clear indicator of how much time they had left. Isaac felt his mind start to race. He glanced at Gabriel.

"Is Ashton there?"

The question came out of nowhere. It shocked Isaac for a moment and it almost shocked him to remember what the answer was. There was a brief silence before there was shuffling around the background.

"Right... okay. I'll give you phrase."

"What? A phrase?"

"The last one was D-I-P-S-H-I-T-H-A-H," Gabriel spelled out. Isaac took a moment to get it and rolled his eyes.

"Funny, Alessa. Really."

The door was about to give until Isaac opened it and stared at Richard who dropped a metal pipe. Isaac watched his biceps release, but his body read tension: tic on his cut jaw, disheveled hair, a massive frown on his handsome face. Isaac moved back enough to give him space to climb up the stair, but he was close enough that towered over Isaac. Isaac wanted the difference in size to appease Richard, but he regretted it when Richard's face softened into annoyance. Isaac frowned. He was doing it again, showing that soft side. Isaac tossed the comms device to Kenneth and walked quietly to the bed when Richard ushered him there. Isaac sat beside Gabriel with his arms crossed, ready to get lectured when everyone's heads turned to a window, searching for the source of the roar of a motorcycle speeding down the road. Isaac opened the window when the motorist taped on the window. Isaac almost laughed when he noticed her trembling cousin clutching on to her. Isaac spared him the embarassment.

"Y'all are in a hurry, aren't ya?"

"Sorta..." Isaac gritted out, still annoyed with Richard. He turned around and smiled cheekily. "She said she'd be taking a car."

"Them I.D.A buses you were askin' 'bout, they were headin' to Cali, Ar'zona, blah blah, and the South. Figured the heat actually kept them warmer states safe."

"Heat?"

"Yeah, babe, they blister out in extreme heats. We had a hell of a day a week ago and them fuckers were droppin' and writhin'. They rarely came out the shade. Figured they realized the sun's a ruthless bitch. Not like they learned, though. They couldn't help, but run at me when I got close."

She laughed; it was loud and mean, but still, it was drowned out the wind and the sound of her motor. She finally thanked them for their help and put down the visor. She raised a peace sign and glanced behind her where car horns were blaring. One or two of the cars parked in the lot were chasing them. She laughed even more and revved up the motorcycle. Someone aimed at them with a gun, but it was too far away to do any harm, zipping past the window. Isaac closed the window and stood watching as Abby made her way in front of the RV, signaling to them.

"She wants us to follow."

"Is this seriously a game to you?" Richard frowned. "You're going around leaving chaos in your wake. Making enemies on the road will not help you in the long run."

"If I am making enemies, which I'm pretty fucking sure I already have," Isaac pushed Richard back, "then I sure as hell am not doing it with a death wish. I trust her as long as she gets us out alive. Abby says she knows a way around the interstate we're on. There's a huge fucking roadblock crawling with the undead. Would you rather know that now or later?"

"Trust? You trust her?"

Isaac flinched when he heard a gun ricochet on what must have been the stairs outside. Kenneth accelerated and Isaac's heart beat with fear and excitement, but with the distance they were putting, it might turn out to be nothing but a few dents and a quick getaway. He walked back to the bed and placed his head on Gabriel's shoulder, putting his hair behind his ear. He glanced at the hickey on Richard's throat. It was higher and likely only a turtleneck could conceal it. Isaac smiled. He just wanted to be a little obnoxious. He wanted to be a little bit out of control. A little bit out of Richard's grasp. Or a lot.

"You're angry."

"You don't trust me."

"Sorry? Also, guess, what? They get irritated by the sun."

"We could have figured that out on our own."

In days? Weeks? Months? The thought made Isaac queasy. He didn't want to just sit anymore. He suddenly felt angry. Very angry. He was angry that they were in this situation. He was angry that Ashton was dead. He was angry that he was stuck with Richard again. Why was it that final goodbyes were never really final? Isaac didn't realize that he was increasing the pressure of his hold until Gabriel placed a hand on top of his. Isaac always thought with his head, with instinct Gabriel thought, and his instincts were nothing more than jumbled up nerves and brewing hatred. They'd start yelling.

"... Manny," Gabriel started, "we need to change our plans. We should go to California instead—"

"We're not changing our plans. We have to re-route after this--"

"So we're going to avoid every person passing us who needs help," Gabriel pressed, feeling a lot more like himself. With his palms warm against Isaac's instead of desperately trying to warm the cool glass he let go miles away, he tried to draw on the old assertiveness he had weeks ago. Everyone stumbled forward as they drove off the road and down a dirt-tracked expanse. The ride was bumpy as the RV trekked over roots and grass, but they eventually saw a concrete road again. Abby was waving frantically now and pointed to a divergence in the road. They were heading to an underpass. Abby slowed next to the window again and Isaac walked over to the couch, Gabriel following him, and opening it.

"Time to say bye, cuties. I'm takin' the access road. Keep raisin' hell!"

Isaac didn't bother closing the window now, the wind merciless to his hair and lungs. It was hard to breathe as he watched Abby disappear, but it wasn't as suffocating as talking to Richard right now. Richard leaned over him and closed it, looking at both of them. He took a deep breath as the panic within him lessened.

"Are you safe? In the middle of the country and surrounded by strangers with unknown intentions, likely bad intentions, because everyone right now is desperate. Are you in the position to help someone else?" Richard said, calm and steely. "I already set my mind to making sure you two were dropped off somewhere safely because--"

"Because you feel obligated," Isaac bit out. The roar of Abby's motorcycle was still very much alive as she eventually separated from them on another path to another state. As they made it past the underpass, a shadow streaked down Richard's face. His green eyes became shades darker, but his expression was sincere and, if Isaac dare think it, apologetic.

"Because it's the least I can do," Richard corrected. "I don't know where my father is, Isaac," Richard I haven't been in communication with anyone from the agency since we dropped our phone. If you really think that I have any ulterior motives... then I'm sorry. I don't."

Gabriel stared at Isaac then at Richard. Unfinished business. This was about unfinished business. Isaac was acting out and for once, Gabriel realized just how divided they were among each other. Keeping secrets and intentions from each other, they were heading down a path of destruction and quickly. Whatever Isaac had to say next, Gabriel refused to let it come out. He held a hand to Isaac's heart and looked at him. It was a quick look and wordless communication. He just wanted Isaac to calm down. He didn't get the chance to speak before a beeping sound went off. Isaac picked up a first-aid kit hanging in one of the cabinets. He was about to pull out the phone inside, but Richard spoke out first.

"You don't... want to see what it says."

Isaac looked back in the case and frowned. He snapped it shut and nodded. He handed the case back to Richard.

"You're right. I don't."

Isaac trudged to the edge of the bed where it met the back of the RV. He turned over and hugged himself, facing away from everyone. Gabriel sat up and walked over, asking Richard for the kit. He opened it, through the pop was inevitably loud. Isaac didn't stir. The time read 12:05 AM, though there was a huge reminder above the time which read: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY." It was set to June 18th, 12:00 AM.


	9. Protective

Gabriel wasn’t surprised when Isaac refused to move from the covers when daybreak peaked through the brown curtains and shone brightly in Gabriel’s face. His dark brown eyes were a warm maple color when he looked at them through one of the side mirrors. He looked away from the light and noticed Richard laying on the couch. He shifted to open his eyes, but a ray of light was over his face. His groan was low as he blinked. Gabriel saw those green irises the lightest he could have ever seen them for a split moment before Richard sat up and rubbed at his irritated eyes. Gabriel sat up and tried closing the curtains, but all he could do was let them overlap around each other to stop the light from coming through.

“Are you alright?” Gabriel asked. “You might need eye drops.”

Richard gave him a curt nod, but otherwise sat up quietly and rubbed at them gently. He peered up at Gabriel for a moment and Gabriel sat straighter, though he wasn’t immediately aware of it.

“Is there anything you want to do today?” Richard’s voice was gravely, but he spoke with caution and consideration and held a steady gaze.

“No… I’m fine,” He looked away for a second before smiling, “We’re fine.”

“Don’t speak on my behalf.”

Gabriel looked at Isaac who remained where he lay, back turned and light-weight sheets cocooning his body. Richard didn’t say anything as he switched spots again with Kenneth. The RV slowed to a stop before Richard started driving. Again, they spoke in hushed voices and even if Gabriel wanted to eavesdrop, he would have had to put the effort together to get what they were saying. Gabriel wanted to pout and tell Isaac to stop acting like a child, but when he leaned over, he noticed that Isaac wasn’t trying to sleep. His eyes were trained on the back wall of the RV and his breaths were calm and even. Gabriel almost shivered when Isaac’s eyes rolled towards him. This is ridiculous, Gabriel thought. He kicked the sheets off and stretched. When he looked around, he realized that the sun had disappeared. He pulled back the curtains and looked outside. They were surrounded by trees on both sides. He couldn’t see much ahead from the speed at which they were going, but the sight of such tall and vibrant trees caused a stirring in his stomach. Gabriel leaned on the counter for a moment and stared at them before he decided to speak up.

“We’re still making that pitstop you mentioned right?”

Richard and Kenneth stopped speaking, so Gabriel assumed Isaac stopped trying to listen. Richard nodded his head.

“Alright. I know what I want to do.”

He walked towards Isaac and coaxed his brother to sit up. Isaac stared at him with annoyance.

“It’s just a birthday. One happens every second.”

“I just want to take a walk. That’s all. For no other reason than to get you moving.”

Isaac eventually left the RV with his head low. They only walked a few feet before Isaac opted for sitting down on the side of the road.

“We aren’t dating.” Isaac spat. “We never were. He acts like he can sweep me off my feet.”

“The effort’s a turnoff?”

“Anyone who shows effort wants to know something about you. Our lives are written in our files and he’s read it. What else is there to know?”

“You’re not a piece of paper.” “Neither are you. But Kenneth hasn’t read our files. That doesn’t make him any less affiliated.” 

Isaac didn’t elaborate after that, but Gabriel understood. To be stuck in this agency and its circle with no promise of seeing family again--to be under anyone and everyone’s surveillance for years--was a long enough time to develop paranoia and doubt. It wasn’t fun being a puppet and it wasn’t fun to not know who was pulling their strings. Gabriel knew he couldn’t speak for Isaac, but after he found out about Kenneth’s involvement his suspicions came back full force and his walls were built again. Where was the promise of peace and serenity in this lifestyle? But, did Isaac want that from Richard? Gabriel shook the thought away. That didn’t seem right.

Isaac’s frown didn’t reveal anything else other than his current unhappiness. Gabriel wanted Isaac to tell him what was on his mind, but each word that came out was as ignorant as the other. Isaac seemed happier. He seemed calmer. Gabriel swore he could hear the gears running in Isaac’s head as he tried to piece together another plan. To run away. Maybe to get Richard as annoyed as he was. But now, Isaac asked him about whether or not he would dye his hair if it convinced Gabriel to dye his own again. He could care less about what Richard and Kenneth were scheming as long as Isaac was safe. They would find Alessa or she would find them. But, for now, they talked about hair dye and sweeter memories on the concrete road splitting a forest corridor far far away from home. And everything was calm in that moment.

When Gabriel opened his eyes, Kenneth was driving. Gabriel faced the driver’s seat, his back pressed again the door. The window was rolled down above his head and the crown his dark head was being bullied by the wind. His hair had been cut back to the way he liked it, but that meant all the dye was gone. He had looked at Isaac’s finished job and combed his hand through the curls. He almost couldn’t recognize himself. Isaac asked him if he wanted to dye it again, but he decided to think about it. Other than that, their birthday had been relatively quiet. Isaac had been relatively quiet. His demeanor was calmer. He joked that they should go to a a cake store and salvage whatever was left, but they were miles from a nearest exit and his words were without enthusiasm. He stuck to driving after brushing Gabriel’s hair into the garbage.

Kenneth was silent, a lollipop in his mouth as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel. His arm leaned out of the window. Gabriel opened his mouth, not sure what to say first, so he decided to make himself known. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, feeling the pillow around his neck shifting some. He smiled as Kenneth glanced at him before looking back at the road. He removed the pillow, settling it on his lap, and gave Kenneth a once over. He watched as Kenneth reached over and picked up a book from the dashboard. He handed it to Gabriel and leaned back in the seat. Gabriel took it and he jumped up almost immediately until he realized it wasn't really reason for excitement.

“Don’t like it?”

“Uh,” Gabriel glanced at him and shook his head, “No--I mean, I do... thanks.”

It was the third book of a computer science book he’d been reading before the camping trip. One of his high school teachers had recommended it to him during senior year. When his Intro to Computing for Engineers and Applied Scientist professor caught him reading it, it was a free ticket to pre-ordering the fourth installment--and brownie points with his professor. He wasn’t sure if he would see his house again, let alone his collection of books, which was hardly a collection, but more of a hoarding of double copies of books that school forced his parents to buy or borrow which resurfaced during spring cleaning. Was the book in an abandoned postal service truck? Was it still in the warehouse? He looked up at Kenneth and expected to hear something—an explanation at least. When he looked inside, he noticed HAPPY BIRTHDAY written in immaculate handwriting under the dedication. No explanation. Kenneth kept to his thoughts and kept driving. Gabriel looked at Richard, then back at the book and set it on the dashboard. It would take him a while to find the page he was last on anyway. He slumped back on to the chair.

“Wow, I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, thinking about whether or not you were stressing about the gift or handing it to me.”

Kenneth couldn't hide his face with the wind blowing it.

“Could you conjure up the fourth book?”

“... Do you want me to?”

“That would be quite impressive,” Gabriel smiled, “You kind of have a thing for popping out of nowhere.”

Gabriel bit his tongue. He didn’t mean to be hostile, but in the time that he met Kenneth at the campfire and now, he never got an explanation. Isaac would’ve been proud, even scolded him for feeling guilty. It grew quiet again and Kenneth chewed on the last of his lollipop and threw the straw out. He played with whatever else was left in his mouth. Gabriel wouldn’t be surprised if he reached for another one soon. He sat up and took the bag from Kenneth's pocket, placing it on his side of the dashboard. It drew Kenneth’s attention, but he settled with tapping the wheel.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Not much.”

Gabriel sighed. He inquired on a few more things, like if there was anything he missed while he was asleep, where they were headed now, how long would it be until they stopped, but Kenneth was curt--quick-and-anxious-to-get-this-over with kind of curt, not a man-of-few-words kind of curt. Or maybe Gabriel assumed that he’d unlock more than 5 syllables from Kenneth. But Kenneth neither looked at him too long nor started conversation.

“When can we talk to Alessa?”

“... Whenever there's a landline around.”

Gabriel shifted so he looked outside of the front window and hummed.

“And then we’ll get her. And then we’ll be left at the ghost town,” Gabriel whispered and he turned his head towards Kenneth. “And then you’ll be heading… I don’t even know, huh.”

Sure enough, Kenneth just kept silently driving, much to Gabriel’s dismay.

“No one else is awake,” he whispered. There was no one else to share his demons with, if that was what was holding him back. Richard and Isaac were, in fact, asleep. Isaac was curled up in the sheets. Richard was sprawled on the couch, an arm over his face, but Gabriel could see the rise and fall of his chest. Gabriel looked back at Kenneth.

“I figured that I have every right to hate you. But you're not a bad person. At least, not to me. Want to be honest for once?” Or are you that prideful? Guilty?

“...I don’t know anything that you didn’t tell me yourself.”

Gabriel sat still. Silent. Kenneth took it as a cue to continue.

“My mother knew Dr. Soltra. She was assigned to him for a few years. She’s met you two.”

Gabriel tried to remember a woman with the similar thick eyebrows, thin lips almost always in a straight line, maybe the same sleek balck hair, and drooping serious eyes.

“She doesn’t look like me.”

“You look more like your father?”

Kenneth nodded.

“He was also an agent. Stationed in Berlin at the time.”

Gabriel nodded. So, Kenneth did have parents. Gabriel tried to imagine a smaller Kenneth whining and demanding toys. He wondered if Kenneth didn't have much of a childhood.  
“How long has it been since you’ve spoken to them?”

“Two years. There’s a sex trafficking ring in Liberia that’s been transporting girls around. A tip came in when a non-U.S. private carrier failed it’s cargo inspection ten years ago.”

Gabriel didn’t want to imagine what they found. He let out a shaky breath.

“Do you worry?”

“... they’ve never given me a reason to worry.”

“... do you even read Vassago? Or Hope? Or even McNuch?”

“Yes…”

“Are you actually allergic to walnuts?”

“Yes.”

“Did you actually cut your elbow on a metal fence?”

“Yes.”

“It wasn't a biking accident, was it?”

Kenneth shook his head. Gabriel stared at him.

“I was trying to get a ball.”

“Why--”

“The signed baseball you thought you lost. Goodman threw it into the creek… I was helping Richard get frog samples.”

So what were the lies? Gabriel thought. That happened in eighth grade. He’d known Gabriel longer than they’d actually spent time with each other. Did that mean he wasn’t actually attending classes?

“We talk until two weeks into school.” Gabriel remembered because it was the first time he had to pay a late fee. Kenneth paid for him. He only ever saw Kenneth writing on a huge map or reading, but he never had the guts to. Gabriel tapped his cheek in thought. “If weren’t working with WP, then why were you--”

“Assisting Richard.”

“Dr. Soltra took you under his wing?”

Kenneth nodded. They continued to drive, the roads once again vacant and lifeless as cement walls rose around them and forestry appeared from above. Gabriel stared upwards.

“Was I an assignment?”

He stared at Kenneth in the reflection of the mirror, his image faint against the cement and walls they were driving past. They were moving a little below the speed limit, so the scenery was still enough for him to catch figures moving in the trees. Disturbed birds flew away, crowing. His eyes lowered as the cement walls eventually lowered. A gunshot rang in the distance ahead of them and it became clear that he was hearing screams. Kenneth pressed on the gas, sitting up straighter as he told Gabriel to fasten his seatbelt.

“Gabe?” Isaac stirred and stepped out of the bed. He wobbled and gripped the couch beside Richard’s head. The noises and the movement caused Richard to wake up as well. Gabriel didn’t listen. He watched as two deer came running frantically down the slope of the hill and eventually there was nothing by an open plain. Gabriel’s brows furrowed as he watched someone run through the forest’s clearing. Not too soon after a horde of bodies came out behind them. Those people were frantically waving at them.

“Slow down.” When Kenneth continued at his speed until Gabriel got up, only to be halted.

“Slow down.” Gabriel yelled, he yanked, causing Kenneth to slow and the RV to steer. Gabriel continued to resist, but quickly he looked up, hearing more frightful shouts. They were nearing a lit up motel, it’s lights quickly going down, doors shutting, and figures closed their curtains. Gabriel looked behind. If those people were coming back here for shelter then there would be no other place for them to hide.

“Stop--”

“You will hurt yourself.”

“I won’t. You’ve been… helpful. Sorry if I’m putting my bets on that.”

If he couldn’t get answers or close, he at least wanted respect. He didn’t want to prove a point. He wanted to at out on his beliefs. And right now, while everyone else was confused and terrified, his mind felt clear and he felt secure. Kenneth couldn’t fall short now. Gabriel slipped out of Kenneth’s hold.

“Reverse it.”

“Hey, you’re—”

“Your gun?”

“What? Gabe, who cares about what shit they’ve gotten themselves into.”

“I. Do.” The horde would eventually close onto the motel, but that’s exactly what Gabriel wanted to avoid. Gabriel threw around Isaac’s things and eventually pulled out a heavy duffle bag from under the sink. He was quick with the zip and rummaged through the guns. He wasn’t as good with moving objects, but it was better to start somewhere. Gabriel grabbed a pistol loaded it. He opened the door, flinching as bounced heavily off the side of the RV. Isaac cursed as Kenneth slowed and drove onto the plain.

Kenneth reversed onto the plain, so Gabriel couldn’t see on the opposite side RV, where the horde was actually running from. Gabriel climbed up to the roof and sat atop the moving vehicle. Isaac yelled as he tried to get Gabriel down. The survivors must have gotten the courage to run when they heard a vehicle passing by. Or they panicked due to the noise and were exposed. That didn’t sit well with Gabriel. Gabriel bit his lip as his thigh dug into the handle of the stairs. He got up and aimed down over the RV, shooting at the bodies. He only managed to get two. There was maybe ten left. He shot again and missed. Another bullet hit his target and he sighed in relief. Isaac had joined him at this point and Richard from the window downstairs. When the crowd was cleared he jumped back down. As soon as he entered, Kenneth towering over him, anger on his face. He took the pistol from Gabriel’s hands.

“That was reckless. You--”

“A kid. There was a kid over there. I could hear her.”

Kenneth stopped before Gabriel continued. He started frantically searching for a flashlight. They jumped when Richard close the door, but right after that, they heard banging on the door. When they realized no one would be opening up, they ran towards the motel.

“There was a kid in a tree. I thought that it was from the motel, but this light was blue. And it was being waved around. If we can get them back over there, then I’ll shut up until we find Alessa.” Gabriel knew that Isaac and Richard were looking at him, but he only looked at Kenneth. When Richard drove the RV, it rolled over the bodies under its path. Isaac told him to get up.

“Gross.” Isaac muttered, driving around the bodies and continued towards the forest. Gabriel pressed his back to the door, staring at the ground. He didn’t refuse Isaac’s hand, but when he couldn’t calm down. When they stopped, he refused to look up. It took a half hour of silence before they were convinced that they were alone. Gabriel was eager to exit the RV, so much so that he stumbled. When he heard the door slam behind him, he didn’t expect Kenneth to suddenly walk in front of him.

“Can you climb a tree?” Gabriel said, squinting his eyes to get a decent look at one of the trees and its bark.

“What happened to your leg?”

“I got hurt. It happens,” Gabriel raised his hand and tapped his elbow, “right? Nothing an ice pack can’t fix.”

“I’m trying to keep you out of--”

“Give me a reason why and I’ll accept the favor…” Gabriel met his eyes, serious, “It was more than just books that put us together. I’m going to take a risk and say what it is is still there.” Gabriel looked at him, as if his point was proven, and stepped aside, but Kenneth stopped him again.

“I don’t need to be protected. I never asked to be.”

Gabriel said it out of frustration, more than anger. He waited for Kenneth to say anything, but this Kenneth was silent. He looked contemplative, but all that came out was,

“Calm down.”

Gabriel stood still for a moment and glanced at Kenneth’s hand on his wrist. He looked into the dark clearing and suddenly he couldn’t help, but think the way the trees moved looked like lurking figures. But there was a child a few feet away probably scared of demons that weren’t imaginary. He was breathing hard and his knee started to tingle. He must’ve hit his knee pretty hard on the roof and the way the stairs dug into his hip didn’t help either. Gabriel wanted to dismiss the pain, but Kenneth handed him his own gun, slowly pressing it flat against his palm. He lowered himself and presented his back.

“Get on.”

If walking out in the darkness wasn’t stupid, then Gabriel didn’t know what to say about giving up half of one's defenses.

“I’m guessing I‘m not the only burden you've had to carry.”

“It’s a challenge. I can adjust to challenges. You have your own strength. I’m giving you another way to show it.”

Kenneth expected Gabriel to have another way of showing it. Gabriel couldn’t help, but feel a swell of respect for Kenneth. Maybe it was in the way he lowered himself or the way he was willing to give Gabriel the chance to prove himself as a challenge worth adjusting to. Kenneth respected him in some, way, shape, or form he hasn’t seen before and Gabriel didn’t want to argue against that.

“I’ll do a lot less fainting,” he joked as he mounted Kenneth. He gripped the pistol and held it away from their bodies; the prospect of having the safety on did little to assure him of it going rouge. Or of him going rouge.

“Worry about what you can control.”

He gripped Kenneth's shoulder as the older man walked them into the clearing. He shook his head, watching his path as they navigated the bushes. Gabriel felt Kenneth’s muscles relax as he stopped, hearing footsteps and low groans in the distance. Gabriel could feel his heart beating and his head pulsing as a low ringing echoed in his ears. He gripped the gun tighter. His hands were shaking. He lifted them up, clutching them and closing his eyes. There was no way that he could hide them in this position. Gabriel looked down at Kenneth who was looking around. Gabriel tried not to move much, but longer they waited the more he became aware of Kenneth’s own heartbeat and the clasped hands holding him up. Kenneth stopped and tapped his forearm.

“Grab those branches. Hold tight.”

He squinted some and stared ahead of him. He went still as Kenneth lowered himself. Gabriel quickly, but silently tapped around for two branches. He handed one to Kenneth who instructed him to shove the one in his hand into the body’s mouth. They didn’t have any other way to get around a bite. They started moving and Gabriel looked up, hearing whimpers from above. He caught sight of dirty shoes and heard small whimpers. Little streaks of blue could be seen through the leaves. He held on, realizing that he still hadn’t stopped shaking. His grip on the branch tightened as Kenneth posed to lunge forward. His forearm wrapped around its neck and Gabriel quickly threw the branch over its mouth. He met some resistance, the branch clinked against teeth, so he had to roll it downwards to effective over its mouth. Kenneth didn’t hesitate to plunge his branch into its neck. He waited for it to stop struggling before lowering it onto the forest ground. Gabriel felt a numbing fear as something growled and grabbed the clothes on his back. His immediate response was to hold onto Kenneth tighter, since flight wasn’t an immediate option. He realized very quickly that that didn’t help as he could feel it dig into his skin. He needed to think fast. Kenneth was his source of flight right now. He needed to communicate that.

“R-right. Behind me. Turn right!” He hissed out. Even his voice seemed too loud right now. Using the gun was the last thing on his mind, but as Kenneth twisted around he switched the gun to his right hand and hoped that his swing would do damage. It recoiled, hit on the jaw, but all it did was stumble and groan. Gabriel panicked. It was making too much noise. The child’s distress was getting louder and his apprehension was rising. Kenneth slammed the body against the tree in its moment of weakness and pinned it up, holding its jaw up. He took the gun from Gabriel's weak grasp and smashed its temple with the butt of the gun. They waited again for silence; it felt like ages waiting for the forest to calm, but as everything else settled, his anxiousness didn’t. He could feel his raw scratched skin getting irritated against his shirt. It hadn’t broken through the cloth, but the force of its nails suggested it wanted to. He couldn’t climb. He would have to sit there are Kenneth climbed. Instead, Kenneth told him to check if the child was directly above.

“Focus,” He said when he got no reply, “Flash the light.”

Gabriel did so and the startled movement of the trees confirmed their suspicions. Kenneth’s instructions had not changed. Hold on. Hold tight. He frowned as he listened to the beginning of labored breathes, yet Kenneth still told him to hold on and started climbing the tree. He was forced to hold onto Kenneth’s shoulders; otherwise, leaning back put pressure on his legs and his injured leg would start screaming against the stress he was putting on it. It would also weigh Kenneth down more. He was encouraged to grab the nearest tree branch as leverage.

When they reached the top, the crying was a bit louder and fumbled words were becoming more apparent. Gabriel gazed at the child sitting atop a branch across from him. She had to be around six-years-old. The child tensed as she heard them approach. Her hands were clenched and her lips danced in what seemed to be a prayer. Then, she stopped and squeezed her eyes shut as she braced herself for anything.

“Hey there, buddy…” Gabriel said softly as he held his hand up slowly, shushing the frightened child. He tucked the gun into a crevice where a branch and the column of the tree met. “I’m here with a friend. It’s alright. Can you come with us? We’ll bring you back. You have to be really quiet, through—Is there anyone else out here with you?” She shook her head and Gabriel grazed the child’s knee. She winced and closed in on herself, recoiling. She refused to move for another ten minutes. Gabriel wasn’t sure if this was a situation worth explaining, but he could only imagine how it would look to a frightened child, bending over to talk to a figure she couldn’t currently see. Instead, they held a comfortable silence as she looked at him fearfully.

“Did you get hurt?” He asked softly.

She was silent and allowed time for a pause before shaking her head slowly; the gesture confused him. He could barely see much without the glow stick now that it had dimmed considerably, but that was because she held it her grasp and behind herself. With the faint glow, he could see angry scratches on her thighs. He frowned and Gabriel cupped the flashlight which revealed a heavy set of fingerprints on her thigh. He didn’t mean to see anything else, but he saw similar bruises peeking out from her socks. He wanted to turn to Kenneth and ask for next steps, but that felt unnecessary.

“You climbed up here hurt? You’re a real trooper,” he smiled, but she frowned.

“You don’t have to stay here anymore.”

Still no response.

“I want to make sure you get out of here. Trees can be pretty uncomfortable and you look like you need a nap.”

Gabriel smile turned from genuine to awkward. He’s had his fair share of run-ins with neighbors’ kids, but everyone pretty much grew up with each other. He knew kids could be shy, that they could sense danger and be weary, but stranger danger was especially strong with this girl. He sat up straight and thought for a moment, so when his bangs fell into his line-of-sight, he thought of nothing more than to brush them back. His hand paused and he took a piece of hair and stared at it before looking back at the girl.

“You know, I used to have this pretty funny looking purple hair.”

“Purple hair?” She asked as if making sure she heard herself right. She crossed her arms with an annoyed look.

“So, she speaks.”

“People don’t have purple hair.”

“I did. Like cotton candy,” Gabriel shrugged.

“Prove it.”

“I mean…” Gabriel gave her a lopsided smile, defeated, “I don’t have my phone and I’m far from home. But my brother can get a word in for me.”

She stared at him and just sat in her thoughts. Gabriel felt awkward. He didn’t know how to interact with kids as well as he thought.

“A guy with purple hair doesn’t seem that scary, huh?”

“Like a carebear?”

Gabriel laughed, taken aback “Yeah, like a carebear.”

Suddenly, she was smiling with a big grin and Gabriel could’ve melted on the spot. There wasn’t anything quirky about her smile or the way she looked, but to see a little girl smile with childish delight. It felt right. It felt like something was right-side-up in an upside down and twisted world. She would make it back and she would be safe, he had to promise to do that, if anything else. He smiled back at her.

“Does it feel like a carebear?”

“Hmm, maybe?”

She reached out, as it to get permission to touch his hair. He leaned down and felt a hesitant palm brush the crown of his head. She giggled before smoothing his bangs back. Gabriel raised his head with the motion. She stared at him in awe and dropped her hand as his hair settled back over his face. Gabriel realized that she had raised to glowstick to his face, an ethereal blue glow surrounded them before the artificial light dimmed around her protective grasp around it.

“Well?”

Her cheeks grew warm, but she hid it behind a just a warm smile. She looked away, bashful. It was a better response than her terror and annoyance minutes ago. She held her hand back to her chest and nodded.

“It’s soft.”

Gabriel wasn’t sure what the source of her own peaceful appearance, but he felt better knowing that she was comforted, or at least reminded of something that once comforted her. He held his hand out, palm up once more and she looked at his hand. It was more of a test than an invitation to get up. Gabriel could feel tree leaves brush his exposed legs, tickling his calves and ankles. The wind picked up strands of her long unruly brown hair. She began to stand, stepping on the branch Gabriel sat on, but winced. He kept his hand on the small of her back.

“Does it hurt? I see… My leg hurts too, but my friend’s been carrying me so we could come to get you. He’ll carry you back.”

She sat up abruptly, inching herself forward and looking at him with wide eyes. “It’s alright. No need to rush… What’s your name?”

“... Ansley.”

W-what’s your name, mister?”

“Gabriel.”

“...Gabriel.” She tested the words, her mouth whispering it with a thought. She gasped before looking at him, as if reevaluating the situation. She looked down, but all she could be able to see are the black tufts on top of Kenneth's head. Ansley looked at Gabriel for a moment before nodding slowly. The trip down was slow. It took a few minutes before Gabriel could hear Kenneth’s feet land on the ground. The click of the flashlight was muted as he pointed it straight down, to get a better sense of where Kenneth was. He pursed his lips when he noticed Kenneth holding out his hands. He urged the girl to hold on to him, her small face tugged into the curve between his neck and shoulder, as he made his way down. He didn’t refuse Kenneth’s help with the jump down, but he shone the light in Kenneth’s face before shutting it off.

“See. Fine. Carry her, please. I think we’ve had enough exposure to the natural and the unnatural for one day.”

When Ansley finally clambered on Kenneth’s back, she gripped him unsure. When he stood to his full height she held on tighter and it took a moment for Gabriel to realize that she was staring down at him. After some verbal soothing and decidedly sacrificing his hand, she relaxed.

“We’ll get there in no time. No loud noises.”

She nodded. Gabriel asked her if he could take the light she was holding. It fits in her whole grasp and was relatively heavy. She must have had to use excessive force for the stick inside to break, unless someone else had done it already for her. He took it and covered it with a pile of leaves. In a few more hours, it would stop glowing anyway. Gabriel stole a few glances at Ansley from what he could see with the moonlight. The gun in his hand felt heavy and he almost wanted t trade it for the glow stick, but he kept his footsteps steady and right beside Kenneth.

When they exited the clearing, Gabriel could see how vast the plain was. The night was cool and the air was dry. Nature remained undisturbed. A dense forest surrounded them and the only other thing connecting them to the modern world was the road running obtrusively through it. There wouldn’t be a town for miles. The motel they had everyone run into had to reasonably be half a mile or so away. The lights were still off, but Gabriel had the strangest feeling that people were watching and he didn’t consider it a crazy thought. He took a deep breath and approach the RV and reached out to knock. Before his knuckles met the door, Isaac opened the door. He glanced at them with pure judgment in his unamused eyes. Ansley slid off Kenneth and eagerly stood by Gabriel. She looked up at Isaac and let out a long, breathy gasp as she looked at Gabriel then Isaac with wide eyes.

“Why did you do that?” Isaac asked. He snatched the gun out of his hand, recoiling at the dry blood caked on it. He backed up and begrudgingly let them in, shutting the door. Gabriel frowned.

“The world would be a better place if everyone agreed with you, wouldn’t it?”

“I chose not to play hero because I’m looking out for you, not some kid that I don’t know,” he turned to Kenneth, “and you went along with it? Who suddenly revived your dead cold heart?”

“Alessa’d be pretty disappointed to hear that.”

“No, Gabe, I’m sure she wished we didn’t interfere,” Isaac whispered, defensively.

Gabriel grew silent as Isaac stared at the girl with familiar eyes. She rubbed at her eyes, but they still shined with onset tears as she glared at him. He frowned, more at himself at that moment, as he placed the gun on the table, sliding it towards Richard. Gabriel was ready to speak up, but was quickly cut off.

“There’s no need to explain yourself. What you did was irresponsible. You choose the summer trainings, so that you wouldn't involve yourself in serving the agency. You two at like rouges itching for attention and trouble.”

“We were born into trouble. I think we've been getting nothing but unwanted attention our whole lives. We got trainings from the agency, so what? It doesn’t take training to be a little humane”

“Always bringing me into the--”

“Not everything requires a response,” Richard said, tight-lipped. But like Isaac said, this wasn’t about him. Not right now. Richard turned back around to Gabriel.

“And you, what you did was uncalled for,” Richard closed in on Kenneth, glaring at him.

““Richard, stop.” Gabriel ‘s words went unacknowledged.

“You should have turned back the moment something started. We’re not out here doing rescue missions. Do not overestimate yourself.”

Gabriel was surprised that Kenneth didn’t reply. Isaac seemed shocked as well, unsure what to do other than standing stock-still. It made Gabriel wonder what kind of relationship the men had to be picking frogs with each other in a creek less than ten years ago and to now be expressing some kind of hierarchy among themselves now. It didn't seem right. Gabriel called out to Richard, but it was Isaac who spoke up, urging Richard to calm down. He sank down when they girl tugged on his arm again.

“...Don’t be an asshole, Manny. We can find an abandoned country club to help you sweat out that rich boy aesthetic. What’s wrong, feeling low on time?”

It was just simple baiting, but Richard had the right to be agitated. Try as he might, the days it took them to get to Arizona were being extended as delayed and now Kenneth was playing a hand into that plan. Isaac looked at Gabriel and the little girl who were tightly comforting each other with nothing else other than an embrace.

“Manny seriously,” He walked in front of Richard, pushing him back, “what’s your damage? I was being selfish. And right now, so are you. You’re more of a threat to her now than any of those ugly--those things. Cool it.”

“We’ll drive her back. Keep confrontation short. We need to get back on the interstate. Soon. If a landline crosses our paths, then I’ll consider finding Alessa.”

“You don’t get to decide that.”

“I can. And I will.” Richard walked over to the driver’s seat and started pulling away from the clearing, silent.

“This conversation isn’t over.”

Isaac didn’t get a response. He frowned. This was only the second time in months that he’s seen Richard this wound up and demanding and the last time that happened, he left a group of people to die simply from the thought of their being an obstacle. This wasn’t Manny. That wasn’t Manny. He was in a different state of mind, suffering from an intense desperation for order and fulfillment. He could be so… restless, Isaac thought. He bit the inside of his cheek briefly, blinking out of his zoned out state. He looked back to where Gabriel sat on the couch. Kenneth was tense himself and zoned out in thought. Isaac walked up to him and waved his hand in Kenneth’s line of vision.

“Don’t let it get to you.”

“We can go there--to heaven!”

“Wait--”

“We can go there. With Ma.”

Isaac walked over them, not sure what to make of the situation.

“We’re taking to you the motel.”

“You can’t!”

“We’re not your parents.”

“Then bring mommy!”

The RV stopped and Richard sat up. He gestured to the door, silently, before opening it and walking out. The stopped in front of the main doors, where a frantic woman stood. She wore a maxi-skirt and a light shaw to match her light brown and unruly hair. It wasn’t her hair that gave Gabriel an edge. Among the bandages covering her body and the fleshy gash on her left cheek, it was her bloodshot eyes and tear stained face that made her stick out. This whole situation seemed wrong. Why hasn’t anyone come out yet? Why was this poor woman so quiet? Why did the little girl want to run away?

“Mommy, come here!”

“Ansley, let’s go back inside—”

“No!”

Richard was the first to frown upon the situation and he moved to approach them. This, was very much something he never thought he would have to deal with now of all times. He raised his hand, a gesture of defenselessness, and she flinched away, fear enveloping her eye sand her trembling posture. Ansley backed up, but as she moved closer to Richard, the more fearful her mother became of getting her back. She started to cry, demanding that Ansley come back. Gabriel watched her limp. There’s no way that a body to hurt someone like that. They didn’t show any purpose, not in their attacks, nt in the way they walk, not in the way they gurgled out noises. They didn’t have the control of someone willing to inflict this kind of damage.

“P-please, let me get my little girl.”

“Ma’am, she is fine,” Richard started with a cool tone. He didn’t seem to regard the situation with the same kind of cold dismissive attitude. She looked nervously at Richard and then bowed her head. She backtracked some when Isaac approached Richard.

“Don’t come up here--”

“She’s practically breaking her neck to look at you, Manny. As much as you want to help right now--just back off a little.”

He directed his attention to her. “In case you didn’t notice, miss, we’re the ones who brought her back.”

“N-no, you haven’t. She’s not besides me. Ansley, please--” She was a few inches taller than Isaac, but it was like they were looking eye-to-eye. She seemed so unsure and small, despite her height. Isaac’s never seen someone in this kind of distress before. Her eyes never really met his. They kept drifting from Ansley to the RV. She reached her hands out, as if trying to show that she wasn’t a threat, but she was radiating fear and caution. Gabriel couldn’t tell if it was because she was nervously strategizing, feeling trapped, or both. She wanted her child. Gabriel started walking Ansley to her mother, but that is when Ansley started fussing.

“No, no, no! Come, mommy, come here!”

“Oi!” It was a bored exclamation, but also a sleazy and lazy one.

Ansley ran back, but her mother didn’t flee. She stood straight as a board. Gabriel watched Ansley tremble and glare at the man who walked from the entrance. A gruff looking man, maybe in his late forties came from behind a crowd of people who pooled from the darken motel. Wrinkles decorated his square face and a greying beard ran down his chin before his collar bones. Gabriel realized very quickly why Nancy would have been afraid of Richard. This man similarly had broad, full shoulders, and he wore a flannel that tugged at his biceps. His footsteps were heavy from the weight of the boots he wore, which were worn with age and cake with a brownish substance. Gabriel could only imagine what those boots have stepped on.

“You’re scaring these kids, Nancy,” His voice was deep, which made it loud. He placed his hand roughly on Nancy’s shoulder and she flinched. Gabriel’s eyes widened and through he couldn’t tell, Isaac showed the same alarm in the way this man handled Nancy. “Don’t encourage her to run off and take after young ones like these. Where are you all coming from?”

“Honestly, fuck this plan, Manny,” Isaac said apprehensive. He looked at looked Gabriel apologetically and then back at the gruff man with distaste. The last thing he expected to be afraid of in these last few days was an abusive--

“Waste of space,” Isaac muttered. Gabriel watched as the man placed his hand around Nancy’s waist, showering her into his side. She trembled, but otherwise stayed silent. Isaac looked as children and adults piled out of the motel behind the man.

“That was a nasty stunt you guys pulled,” He laughed.

Isaac looked at the children--those around Ansley’s age or older--who started muttering. One of them complained about how a boy besides him made too much noise in the forest. But the man at Nancy’s side was reprimanding them.

“Should’ve left her there at dusk,” He said. It was a joke and they’d done a poor job of executing it. Gabriel felt a tight knot in his stomach.

“You... put her there?” Gabriel asked, shocked.

“Hellofva good idea, if you ask me. But kids don’t know how to do anything right, which is why we’re standing out here wasting our time. Get back here, Ans.”

Gabriel didn’t intend on allowing that.

“Hand me the runt.”

Gabriel didn’t move. He didn’t watch the man. He looked at Nancy.

“You deaf or dumb? Hand me the runt.”

“Fuck that,” Isaac spat out.

He scowled as his cold blue eyes landed over Isaac. Gabriel didn’t give him the chance to look at Ansley. He scoffed before looking at Richard.

“You let these midgets walk all over you? Why am I negotiating with little boys? You don’t control--”

“Don’t compare us to you. Why was she in the forest?”

“She was safer there,” One of the teenagers said and others laughed menacing laughs. These people were bullies. This was a horrible group of people, whoever they were. But they weren’t a turf. They didn’t have any colors.

“Ain’t nothing worse that they could do that we couldn’t do.”

“Shut the held up, Jim,” Nancy’s partner said as he spat on the ground, “That’s a mighty fine recreational vehicle yer got ‘ere.” He laughed as if he delivered the best punchline he’s heard in years, simply from exaggerating the words.

“Mind if I take it off your hands? A little trade.”

No one spoke up.

“What? You won’t offer me that nice piece of stolen equipment? Don’t tell me you’ve been saints shit’s blowoever?” He silently surveyed them again. Isaac caught himself glancing at Richard for a moment. No, they haven’t been saints. But they couldn’t leave Ansley here and they couldn’t leave Nancy within a hell among her own hell.

“We’re taking the girl.” Richard said. There was no room for arguments.

“Alright, take the bitch. We don’t any more of our food going to waste, so you all can scurry to wherever you were off to. I need this one to get us the hell out of here.”

“No-Ben, please. I need her--”

“Aw, God damn, now you’re acting up. Just be still for a sec, will you?” He said as he gripped Nancy’s hair. He brought out a switchblade from his front pocket and released the knife, bringing it up to her throat.

“No! Wait. We’ll take her off your hands!” Gabriel screamed. Ben brought the blade up to his cheek and hummed. Gabriel jumped in surprise when Kenneth ran up and caught his hand, unwilling to wait for the gruesome response if Ben was willing to cut this short. He elbowed his arm, dislocating it and quickly holding Nancy as she collapsed.

“God damnit!” He bit out, “Always causing trouble, Nance. Shit.” He stood up, holding onto his arm. He didn’t finish his sentence before Kenneth’s heel came crashing down his jaw. The attack riled everyone up, but Ben held up his hand, calling off his group. He whistled and held onto his jaw.

“We’re leaving,” Kenneth said, helping Nancy up. Gabriel was the first one t make it back in, ushering Ansley in as well.

“Saving them ‘till the last minute put us in more trouble than it’s worth,” He spat out blood this time, “Tell me where them fuckin’ safe havens at, bitch. Your yelling it or you’re dead.”

Gabriel froze when he noticed the gun Ben was holding. Isaac had already been pushing Gabriel and a yelling Ansley back inside as Kenneth reversed. Ben stood up and wiped his mouth. Nancy pushed Kenneth aside and collapse, holding her hand to her head. She started screaming.

“Tell me!”

“M-manhattan. They said they were heading down the backroads. The seventy. Take the seventy.”

“The fuck? What’s so special ‘bout Kansas?”

“I--I meant New York. Manhattan, New York.” Nancy bristled and stared up wide-eyed, as if caught in a lie.

“You lyin’ bitch--Aye, get your hands off her. We’re talkin’.”

“They came from the East coast, I swear--that’s all the told me. Take the back roads and follow the seventy. The other ‘states been blocked off.”

Ben frowned then tsked.

“Alright! Alright--” He laughed, pulling out his own handheld. Isaac cursed and scrambled for the pistol, yelling for Richard and Kenneth to get inside.

Nancy felt weak to her knees. Even with Kenneth being her support, she couldn’t stand up anymore. She couldn’t get up and relief flooded her system. But it came all to quick. But as she watched Ben lift his gun again, all the relief turn into complete hopelessness.

“Shit… shit. Shit. Pull her inside--”

Isaac’s words were cut off by the gunshot that burst through the air. Their scrambling wasn’t fast enough as Nancy desperately tried to disappear then and there. Richard tried to help Kenneth pull her in, but the bullet beat them by speed. Kenneth tried to outmatch it with reflex, pushing Nancy out of the way. It was a blatant headshot, but Kenneth felt it cut past under his arm, a few inches from his wrist. Isaac opened the window and shot Ben’s hand then his leg.

“Get her inside!”

He watched as everyone else pulled out their own weapons and groaned. He frowned when he leaned over and noticed a leaning Nancy bleeding profusely as Kenneth applied pressure to her neck. Isaac closed the window, but just a quickly, bullets cracked against it. A second one broke through it. He pulled Gabriel down, out of the way of the windows, who in turn brought Ansley down. He crawled to the wheel and started the car. Richard and Kenneth we’re hiding outside of the door’s path as it was hailed on by bullets.

“Mommy...?”

“Tell her to stay back.” Isaac said, frustrated, pressing his hand clumsy on the gas. He sat up once he determined it was safe and his foot replaced his hand as he sat on the seat.

“Just--drive.” Kenneth said.

Gabriel watched as Kenneth continued to apply pressure to Nancy’s neck, thick blood oozing from the crevices between his fingers.

“Ma’am, what’s your name?” Richard dug through his things. He pulled a bag from the cabinets and placed it by her side. Isaac used to say he would end up with more junk than useful tools, but Gabriel could tell that from blood pooling out of Nancy Richard couldn’t be less prepared. Not that he doubted his training, he thought. His eyes stared back at Kenneth’s hand and prevented Ansley from doing what he was. He bit his lip. No, the doubt what there. When Nancy didn’t reply, Richard took out a needle and pulled back the syringe. He urged Kenneth to get her to talk.

When Richard tried to replace Kenneth’s side, her eyes opened and flashed with awareness of the situation. She started to struggled and groan in pain. Gabriel wanted to walk up to her, but he sat holding Ansley who was still screaming. Richard looked agitated, but he remained calm as he glanced at Gabriel. He wanted to say something, but instead he closed his eyes and sighed.

“Ma’am, you are safe here. We need to get you to a hospital. But I need you to cooperate.”

“Ansley, my girl,” was all she said.

Ansley ran to her mother, grapsing her blood caked hand. Richard sighed, fine with the new arrangement as long as it moved things along. The shot was hopefully sinking in by now since the shock seemed to wear off. Nancy didn’t writhe as violently as she should, which made Richard’s investigation easier. He stared at her face and skin ever so often to detect any obvious signs of an allergic reaction to the pain-killer. Isaac quietly steered the vehicle, following the new directions Richard relayed to him.

Kenneth walked away and slid back, sitting against the couch. His head leaned back, lolling to the side, in exasperation, as he grit his teeth. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. Gabriel frowned. There was blood all over him, but the area that he clutched looked fresh and looked especially sticky. Gabriel shakily crawled towards him and removed his hand from his side with some resistance before Kenneth relented. When he lifted the stained shirt, it peeled off, sticking to his skin loosely.

“R-Richard. Kenneth was hit,” He stammered out, “How long were you going to keep quiet about this?”

“Hey, Gabe, don’t--” Isaac quickly glanced at him, trying to get him away from that image.

“Is it still there?” Richard interjected.

‘It’ was referring to the bullet, Gabriel assumed. He tried to look, but Kenneth spared him and nodded.

“Um, yes.”

“He shouldn’t be touching it or he’ll mix blood.”

Richard directed Gabriel to a box of latex gloves which he quickly put on. He probed around awkwardly, but couldn’t find it. How did Kenneth know it was still there?

“Don’t try to remove it. Just apply pressure, keep him up, and clean it up with this,” Richard threw him a drug bottle and a damp yellow piece of cloth. “Put gauze on it. The bleeding will stagnate.”

After a brief pause, Richard added, “He’s dealt with this before.”

Gabriel understood clearly what Richard meant when he lifted Kenneth’s shirt and took a closer look at the faded scars on Kenneth’s chest. The dark material needed to peel off, patterns of blood were stained on Kenneth’s skin—on his face. He reeked of it. His eyes were closed, but he was breathing through his nose and clenching his jaw hard. Gabriel touched his cheek, then his forehead, brushing his hair back. He was warm, but his complex was paler than usual. No duh, Gabriel through, frustrated. He pulled back when Kenneth opened his eyes. As if to remind him of the current situation, Kenneth pointed to the materials in Gabriel’s hand with his own bloody finger. Gabriel fumbled with them. Kenneth put a bloody finger on the back of his palm, giving him a moment to calm down. He handed Kenneth the painkillers.

He glanced at Kenneth before placing the items down. He picked up the wet cloth and quickly sterilized the area. Kenneth slightly flinched from the touch, but otherwise did and said nothing as Gabriel pressed down on the wound.

“What the hell?” Isaac spoke up as the vehicle slowed down. He slammed his hand on the dashboard as he pushed himself up and looked outside to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “This is a gas station.”

Everyone turned to Nancy who let out a strained laugh, no longer weeping from the pain. She didn’t move her head much, just guiding her eyes to Richard.

“If you’re lucky, there’ll still be a couple of beers left. Your friend looks like he needs it… needs a buzz in his system.” She put her weak hand on Richard’s and said something lightly before her voice eventually went silent. Richard stood up and exited the RV. There were a tense few moments and in the time Richard was gone, Gabriel fetched Nancy covers, Isaac joined them on the floor, and Nancy whispered to Ansley who was too distraught to give coherent answers. Richard opened the door, the light from the station spilling in and disappearing until the door eventually closed. The unavoidable drift and light from the broken window made the gesture seem comical, but everyone was self-absorbed in the dread of the moment.

“Why the hell would he be drinking? The pills will do fine for the pain.”

“Therapy,” Nancy joked. Isaac looked at her in disbelief. “Or so they…”

Her voice trailed off. Richard threw a pack of beers near Kenneth's head on the couch. Gabriel didn’t say anything as Richard ushered him aside and handed Kenneth a beer, taking a look at his wounds. The rest of Kenneth’s shirt was stripped off and used as cloth to wrap around the wound on his arm and on his hip. Richard didn’t have trouble creating larger tears through the bullets’ entrances. They couldn't keep it like that forever, but the bullet was wedged near his hip, but Richard knew that he was more likely to pass out from trauma rather than internal bleeding. He quickly returned to Nancy whose eyes were closed.

“She’s not sayin’ anythin’,” Ansley mumbled worriedly and shook her mother. She flinched as Richard sat beside her and brought a needle to her arm. He sat up.

“W-wait,” Gabriel was confused. “That’s it?”

“The wound is inflamed. We have no other way to give her oxygen. There’s a risk of irritating her airways if I affix some kind of makeshift apparatus—but I don’t have the right kinds of tools to make one anyway. She’s been going in and out of shock. There isn’t much more that I can do. Not here and not now. Not with my level of expertise,” He finally admitted. “All I can try to do is alleviate the pain.”

“But you have to! You can’t stop. Gabriel--tell him he--”

“Ansley.”

Ansley quieted down and looked at her mother.

“Don’t give ‘em a hard time… don’t give ‘em a hard time,” Nancy’s voice was sing-songish. “Quiet time… time.”

She awkwardly turned her head and when Ansley realized that she wasn’t looking at her, but past her, Gabriel met her eyes. He didn't know what to do. Did she want a beer?

“...Gabriel?”

“Yes,” He replied, surprised.

“Gabriel.” Nancy hummed, satisfied. She didn’t remove her gaze from him, as if she had something to say, as if she had something she knew that she couldn’t say. And Gabriel would be left to figure it out what that gaze meant.

“She doesn’t have much time left,” Isaac whispered in Korean. He glanced at Gabriel and then away.

Nothing followed after Nancy repeated his name. Instead, she looked back up and Gabriel realized he couldn't stop looking at the patched up wound. It must hurt so bad, he thought. And the blood continued to soak and dampen the gauze upon gauze and cloth trying to absorb all that life. Then, she said it. His name. By the time he looked up at her, she faded into unconsciousness again. Ansley began the react. Gabriel walked to the sink and removed his gloves, trying to decide whether or not to wash the blood around his wrist down the drain or remain with it. His leg no longer buzzed as he shifted weight onto it. He looked at Ansley at that time and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it.

“I want you to trust me, okay?”

That didn’t calm her down, but she reluctantly let go of her mother’s hand and followed Gabriel outside. Gabriel looked at the gas station and urged Ansley onto his back.

“... you’re kind of heavy.”

“No, I’m not,” She stammered softly, embarrassed. Gabriel smiled and continued into the store.

“I know…”

“I don’t want to leave Mommy.”

“I know, but you need to.”

Gabriel bit back on those words. He thought for a moment about Kenneth’s advise and spoke up again.

“I.... I know you don’t want to.” Gabriel sat her on the counter and told her to stay put as he searched for disinfectant wipes. When their hands were clear and rubbed pink, he made his way to the refrigerators. He grabbed two bottles of blackberry flavored seltzer water and quickly made his way to the confectionary items. He grabbed a bag of marshmallows, out of its place, on a stack of magazines. He didn’t say anything as Ansley sat, woeful. She didn’t seem interested in the snacks to grab underneath and behind her. Her legs swung back and forth as she stared at her feet, tear drops falling her flushed cheeks. Gabriel put the items on the counter and sat on the other side of them. He opened the bag of marshmallows and took one out to eat it. The mood didn’t feel right, but he had to try something. He had eaten two before Ansley quieted down and looked towards him. It was strange how quiet she was and he wondered if it had anything to do with what Nancy said. He opened the selter water.

“... what’s that?”

“Seltzer water and marshmallows.”

Ansley looked at the items with more interest, rubbing her eyes dry. She opened her hand and demanded the bag and asking what seltzer water was.

“Bubbly water.”

“Bubbly?”

“Yeah, fancy water,” he joked, “My best friend… his mother said this was one of her cravings when she was pregnant.”

“... that’s weird.”

Gabriel hummed. “Babies make mothers act weird. Have you ever tried peanut butter and pickles?”

“A baby made a pregnant lady eat that?” She asked quizzically and Gabriel nodded, amused.

“...that can’t be tasty,” she said, as if wondering why he would dare to try a weird combination only pregnant women would dare to love.

“It’s an acquired taste,” he said in an obnoxious mock accent, raising his chin and sticking his pinky out as Ansley watched him drink it. He couldn't help, but scrunch up his nose and lick the roof of his mouth. It’s been a while since he’s tasted seltzer water, he had to admit. Ansley giggled.

He opened the other bottle for her and she took it, taking a sniff. Ansley glanced at him before taking a took a sip and smacked her lips together and scrunching up he button nose similar to way Gabriel had just done. She started coughing. Gabriel patted her back and took the drink from her hands.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think most kids drink this anyway.”

“It hurts,” she whined. It must have been a surprise for this drink that was seemingly water to be as tangy as soda. It took her by surprise.

“I’ll get you some water.” Gabriel stopped when Ansley shook her head and took the marshmallows, swallowing them down.

“Kids also don’t eat sugar past curfew too,” Gabriel said, regretting this idea.

“You’re not my mommy.”

“... yeah.” There was no offense to take since he understood what she meant completely. He took one of the marshmallows and stared at it closely, the little ridges on its soft surface expanding as he pressed down on it. Ansley took the bottle again and put a marshmallow in her mouth. Gabriel watched her worriedly as she finished chewing on the mess of awkward flavors.

“Don’t force yourself.”

She didn't listen. She continued to drink and then started at the bubbles inside of the bottle. She took another sip which turned into a gulp nti she had less than a sip left. She gripped the bottle and then burped. She covered her mouth, surprised and embarrassed, but Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t let it go on for too long.

“You seem to like it after all.”

Ansley didn’t say anything, but she opened her mouth a bit and let out a small breath. Gabriel wondered if she was trying to remember the taste an th feel of bubbles active on her tongue and in the roof of her mouth, the back of her throat. He took another sip and felt giddy from the feeling of freshness that washed over him. It sat in his belly and made him feel light, but heavy at the same time. That must be a burp. When nothing came out, he decided to break the silence.

“Ansley, what was this haven… Ben was talking about?”

“Heaven?”

Gabriel nodded, connecting the dots. “Did your mother call it heaven?”

“Yes. She said we’d be safe. That anyone could go there. Pa said we couldn’t. That God wouldn’t want us there. But then you came Gabriel! You’re here to take us there, right?”

Ansley was living in a different world. Still a child. Ever so often neglected. Gabriel was once amazed by God, but this meant he was als scared of him. Ansley had so much more to be scared of and she was scared of all those things. Because she’s a child. Yet she was stuck in a tree praying because she was taught that something in her favor would save her. Anything in her favor, Gabriel thought. What was in her favor? It’s what get you through the tough times that matter. He repeated it again in his head. Nancy… her eyes reminded him of his grandmother’s. But he didn’t know if she was cursing the ground he walked on... or not.

“Ansley--when we go back inside, I want… I want to tell you about my mother.”

“Where is she?”

“Here,” he pointed to his head, “and here.” Then, his stomach.

“You ate her?” She said it so calmly and with such curiosity that it was too funny.

Gabriel smiled and told her to shush. “No, I remember some of the things she cooked us. Isaac and I. Even if she wasn’t with us. I can never make it the same, but I feel like I’m watching her make it again. We should try cooking together.”

“And drawing.”

“Sure.”

“And braiding hair.”

“I don’t think my hair’s that long. I’m sure Isaac wouldn’t mind.”

“I’ll braid mommy’s hair.” She crossed her arms.

“He can be fun,” Gabriel said quietly.

“Funner than you?”

“Funner than me.” Gabriel smiled. Ansley put another marshmallow in her mouth.

“What were you doing… in the tree?”

Ansley became quickly grew solemn. “Praying.”

“Did your mother teach you how to pray?”

“Yes,” she muttered.

“Then we can pray too,” Gabriel said and smiled, “You’ll teach me?”

“You don’t know how to?” Ansley asked, incredulous.

“There’s... no right way to,” Gabriel felt self-conscious, but there was no real reason to be. Maybe because Ansley expected him to be an angel. “But it has to be a conversation from the heart. That’s what matters, right?”

Ansley nodded and asked if they could pray. Gabriel nodded as well as she closed her eyes and initiated. She spoke loudly, holding Gabriel’s hands together tightly. Gabriel couldn’t bother to change her expectations or change her thoughts. He busied himself with his own wishes and let whatever came out escape.


	10. Safe Haven

"How did you sleep?"

Something was buzzing. Isaac stared up at the cloudy sky in search of it. The weather turned for the worse and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. It has only drizzled. All he could hope for was for the clouds to let up. A distant hum grew louder, causing the trees to sway in an unnatural wind. Whatever trees weren't green stood thin and with exposed skeletal branches. Bare branches shook, seemingly ready to break off at the suggestion of a wind, but they stood tall and winter-ready. Isaac realized now more than ever that he considered the sight of these clashing trees strange. It was still summer, right?

The helicopter passing by was obscured by the clouds, but it was close enough to them to leave a trail following it in a northern direction. Time should have been near noon, but the cloudy skies made the day feel closer to evening. Visibility was low, but Richard must have been trying to avoid any sign of being detected by whoever was flying that helicopter. His neck ached dully, but he could feel the ebbing pain grow as he looked from outside to Richard.

"... decent," Isaac muttered and sat back in his seat as Richard put the RV back in drive. All he got was a nod in response. It took a few more minutes, but they were driving off the interstate, entering a quiet area that looked like it should otherwise be bustling with life. They passed a drugstore before making another right. There was a one-way sign that Richard ignored, but Isaac couldn't blame anyone for loose enforcement. He expected the place to be just as deserted and decimated as the other towns they passed by, but it was a quiet tourist attraction. Isaac could see a someone coming out from the lodge they stopped at. It wasn't impressive. Definitely not a five-star. But a bed was calling his name and he had a feeling that he wouldn't actually get to sleep anytime soon.

Richard must have missed a turn because they weren't supposed to be near lodging. They were supposed to find a hospital. He didn't take too long to stare at the name printed on the canopy because his eyes quickly drifted to the people gazing at them from inside the motel.

"Did you miss a sign?"

"... Yes..." He loosened the kinks in his neck and stretched quietly. Richard seemed to pause for a moment and Isaac couldn't tell if he was thinking or just spacing out. When all the tension in him released, Isaac sneaked another tired gaze at Richard. For the first time in months, Isaac realized that Richard was tired—heavy bag-eyed tired. Richard didn't frown unless he meant to. He was just tight-lipped, serious. But ever since the outbreak, there was no reason to be suave. There was no reason to put on an appearance. Though, even leadership could be an appearance. To see him solemn and exhausted made Isaac realize that something was very wrong.

"Under the weather?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," Richard ran his hand down his face.

"You look like shit..."

Richard turned to him, trying to figure out where this was going.

"In case you haven't noticed: so does everyone else."

Richard didn't say anything.

"Speak for yourself."

Isaac frowned and Richard didn't stop when he asked him to stop. He was about to get up, but Richard turned around and made sure that their eyes met. Isaac's frown softened as he expressed confusion more so than annoyance.

"Stay here."

"What are you doing?"

Richard opened the door. "Getting directions." He closed it.

Isaac watched the Richard walk up to the front door, his movements heavy, but his back straight and his face calm. There was another young man who made his way out the doors to meet Richard. His dark hair was cut short, bangs cut in the middle. He had a boyish smile on his face, the kind of smile Gabriel made sweet and a frat boy made sleazy. Isaac was surprised to say that it was in between. He gazed at Richard's back before looking at his lap. He deserved that. He knew when to throw up his white flag. He just didn't know how to show it.

On the way back to the RV, Gabriel turned him around.

"It's just a birthday wish. I'm sure he didn't mean anything of it."

"So you're saying I overreacted."

Gabriel let out a hissing sound and Isaac pouted. He smiled nervously and hummed, letting his eyes drift a bit before he reached a conclusion. "I didn't say that. I do think you reacted... differently. Like... you're self-conscious of him."

Isaac groaned. He wished Gabriel hadn't said anything because he was right. On a normal day, Isaac would have dismissed Richard, maybe give him a smile on a good day, because he could afford to ignore Richard. He could afford to be ungrateful. But they weren't blind to impending danger anymore and life wasn't something to be carefree about. But that was Richard's decision. Not his.

Richard had the right to be angry, to be livid, but if he knew that he could claim those emotions, he would take the mile and Isaac might actually feel guilty for allowing Richard to succumb to his feelings. Isaac looked down. The beige rubber band around his wrist had jagged ends. It was the elastic end of a glove he'd taken apart a while ago. He kept the rolled up end as a spare hairpiece since his others were misplaced. His hand ran through his hair and pulled it up into a ponytail. Shorter ends swept over the top of his cheeks and curtained the side of his face; those were brushed back and over his eyes with a quick fix. Sitting back and sighing, he looked back outside. Someone caught his attention. Their eyes met for a moment and Isaac realized that the man Richard was speaking to was looking at him. How long? He didn't know. Isaac couldn't help it, his smile was small, but absent-minded. He sat up taller when he realized that the stranger was pointing towards him.

"You guys planning on staying?"

"You wouldn't happen to have a vendetta, would you? It's fine if you do. I won't take it personally," Isaac shrugged lightly, still smiling.

"That's going to factor into the decision?"

"Uh, yes," Isaac laughed, though he wondered if this guy would be laughing if he knew just who they were and what they've done.

"We won't be staying," Richard said flatly.

"You don't have to stay here, per say. There's a villa complex a decent ten-minute walk that way. Should be more rooms over there. Those rich folks were too scared to stay in their place and scattered when they heard the news."

Isaac brightened at the thought, but Richard quickly dismissed him, no goodbyes, and made his way back to the RV. Isaac sighed and waved at the guy. When he heard the door open, he stood up and walked towards the back, deciding that everyone else sleeping was better company than Richard awake. He took a deep breath and decided to avoid crossing over blood-stained floors and sat gingerly on the sink counter. Ansley clutched Gabriel tightly from behind. She had isolated herself when she first went to sleep, but she must have been seeking some comfort. Isaac's heart tugged at the display. Kenneth, on the other hand, was laid out on the couch, shirtless, and skin marred with dried blood. The area where the bullet entered was red but cleaner than the rest of him. The hand over his eyes moved to rest on his stomach and Isaac quickly looked up to see if he had opened his eyes. His breathing changed, but his eyes remained closed. The drive to the hospital was ten minutes or so and Isaac wasn't surprised to see the parking lot empty and quiet. Kenneth stayed out of sight of anyone who would immediately be running around. Richard sat up and looked around the RV.

"I need you three to sit inside. Wake them up while we're gone."

"Aye, aye cap'in," Isaac said and he left it at that, but Richard didn't.

"Don't drag any more attention to yourself than you already have."

Isaac gave him a glance, unamused. "And it's safe for you two to be walking outside? You don't seem to have much of a fighting chance."

"I won't escalate it to that point."

Kenneth sat up and Richard held him up. They walked towards the door and out. Richard walked to the broken window and stared inside. Isaac was fuming at the counter when Richard knocked on the glass.

"..."

Isaac looked up and met Richard's eyes, recognizing that he was still clearly visible. He hopped off the counter and forcefully closed the curtains. When Richard was sure that Isaac would listen to him, he continued to bring Kenneth towards the entrance around the corner. As he expected, someone was stationed around the front. She immediately ran towards them in a frantic, but professional demeanor as she asked Richard to relay what happened. She looked at Kenneth's dressed wound and was surprised to hear Richard's own medical opinion on the situation.

"Oh, are you a pre-med student?"

Richard nodded. Something of the sorts. That, he didn't say. She smiled at him, seemingly impressed and called out to someone from inside. She turned on a communications device and recited protocol for Kenneth's condition. Two nurses came outside. "The doctor will confirm that when he sees the wound. Please take a seat in the--"

"I'm going in with him." She took a second look at Richard, but said nothing else to him and instead allowed the nurses to help Kenneth into a wheelchair. When they walked past the receptionist desk and into the waiting area, Richard noticed that the area wasn't bustling with life and chatter was kept to a minimum. Everyone was either silent, busying themselves, or staring at the television, which was on what seemed to be a local news station. The station broadcasted a list of names for towns--towns where people were being relocated. Richard regarded the list with suspicion. Who were controlling the messages being broadcasted? The nurse called out to him, pulling him from his thoughts, and he closed the distance between them.

"He doesn't seem inclined to respond," she said, checking on him.

"He's not obliged to," Richard replied gruffly.

He wasn't surprised to see everyone else staring at him, bloodied and all, but they were simply shocked, not threatening. He heard a pair of double doors open as someone in a stretcher was being rolled into the ER. Richard could see the gaping wound on the man's arm being heavily attended to. Then, it was quiet again. A nurse ran to get the doctor as another nurse guided Kenneth into an operating room looked at Richard wearily when he held the door open.

"We cannot let you inside."

"Why's that?"

"This goes against policy rules."

"What seems to be the problem?" The surgeon looked up from the sheet in his hand and gave them a smile. His smile fell when he looked at Richard's appearance. He looked at Kenneth and lowered the paper before clearing his throat.

"Ah, well, I suppose there's no need to enforce protocol in this circumstance, yes?"

"What? Dr. Mott, it's hardly--"

"We are fine. I will tend to him. Oh, who dressed his wound?"

"He did--but he's still a patient," The woman said. "That doesn't mean--"

"Then this report came from him?" Dr. Mott raised an eyebrow. "Are you--"

"Yes."

Dr. Mot smiled. "I see you may get that question a lot. Harold, Anna, thank you for your help, but there are more patients arriving from the back."

The nurses were eventually told to leave, seemingly offended and impressed that their help would be replaced by Richard. He watched the door slowly close. Kenneth was put on the table and told expose the wound. Dr. Mott covered his mouth, so his voice was muffled by the mask. He told Richard to get a mask and gloves as he rolled over a tabletop with tools.

"Are you also hurt?"

"No."

"Where did all that blood come from?" He inquired. He asked for a scalpel and a pair of pliers after cleaning up the wound.

"A woman who was shot, likely in her RCC artery. We were a day out."

The doctor looked up at Richard and blinked. He gave him a curt nod, understanding the situation. "Every death seems like a heavy responsibility on a doctor when their life was last in your hands."

Richard didn't respond, but he also didn't want to be sent into a spiral of dark thoughts.

"I understand. Trust me," He said, "Sitting up. I apologize. I've yet to introduce myself. My name is Kevin Mott. And you must be Soltra's boy."

"Richard."

The doctor nodded and looked at Kenneth's wound once more. He flinched and grit his teeth.

"I did not think Dana would actually allow Kenneth to work with the Soltras. There's a lot we have to catch up on, isn't there, Kenneth?"

Dr. Mott smiled.

"Tell me, Richard, why didn't you remove this yourself?"

"Collateral for a miscalculated decision."

"I see. Hopefully, he's learned from that mistake." Dr. Mott hummed and the bullet was removed. It was chipped on the side. He would need to find the smaller piece, but as long as it wasn't damaging anything, he would hold off for the moment. "I suppose I would've belittled that punishment if I'd given him any painkillers. Here's your souvenir." Dr. Mott threw the bullet and Kenneth caught it. He buckled down and started looking for the actual problem if there were any.

Kenneth glared at Richard and Richard decided that there was no need to prolong the pain. He would need Kenneth to be back in shape in the case that he would actually need him to fight again. Dr. Mott smiled when Richard allowed Kenneth the pain medicine. It was quiet as Dr. Mott continued his search for any other issues. When the wound was stitched up, he patted it.

"You should rest on that."

"How long?"

"If you want to open it, then two hours. If you actually want it to heal, then 8 to 10 days. A week minimum. I know that may be tough when you are in a rush."

Dr. Mott looked pointedly at Richard and took off the gloves. He opened the door and grabbed two plastic chairs. A nurse tried to check on them, but instead meet Dr. Mott in the hall.

"I'll need an IV and..." His voice cut off as he let the door close. When he walked back in, Dr. Mott offered a chair to Richard before hiking up his pants and sitting down in his own.

"You are safe here," Dr. Mott said, despite Richard's silence. Kenneth sat up and gripped the ends of the bed.

"Dana is a valuable asset to Soltra because she knows people out of the agency. Untraceable contacts. Dana's hard to say no to, though. I asked for a quiet life after serving, but I do not mind patching up her kid when he needs a fixing," Dr. Mott chuckled, patting Kenneth's knee.

Kenneth didn't humor him.

"Alright. I'll let you live this one down."

"No one else from the agency has stopped by here?"

"No," he paused when a knock on the door dragged their attention. Dr. Mott walked to the door and stood back when a woman tried to peer into the room.

"George told me you were talking to--"

"Lyn, they are fine. I will talk to you in a moment. Just give them space. Fill in for me while I'm out."

She sighed, suspicious of their activities, but otherwise gave him the liquids Kenneth needed to and walked away. All Richard saw was a tanned hand appear and disappear.

"Should we be worried about her?"

"No. In fact, I am more worried about her seeing you. As much as I enjoy your company, I would rather keep my family out of this." He attached the IV and sat back down.

"Anyone affiliated disappeared a week after the news of the outbreak reached us. Their families disappeared soon after. There is no need for the agency to stop by a small town like this. They have cut their ties and have set operatives elsewhere. Areas closer to cities," He elaborated.

"I opted out of any federal services with legitimate reasons," Dr. Mott said, pulling up one of his pant legs. There was a prosthetic where his leg should have been, but that wasn't enough to convince Richard. "As far as everyone is concerned, I'm a practicing veteran. Nothing more. Nothing less. So, I should be asking you two why you are here, possibly attracting trouble to my town."

"We've been unresponsive to the agency. No one should know that we are here."

"Well, that does not make me feel better. Why have you not reported to the crisis?"

"My father has been missing since late December. I lost access to his lab. I suspected that he had been working on something entirely different than what he allowed me to see. The outbreak only confirmed my suspicions. The symptoms of the victim are nothing I've been exposed to before. I've yet to see anyone being infected via direct insertion or through any other methods. It's clearly not airborne."

Dr. Mott nodded. "Then, how did you get shot?"

"We were trying to prevent a homicide," Kenneth said calmly, though he was exasperated.

"You were careless."

He shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place, Richard thought bitterly.

"I suppose you are trying to look for Dr. Soltra?"

"We will."

Dr. Mott stared at him, confused. He gazed at Kenneth, waiting for an answer. "You arrived at your own volition?"

"Dr. Soltra required that I watch over two Witness Protection victims. I brought them here with Richard knowingly," Kenneth said. "We haven't gone to anyone, but you. Now that they are here, we need to start planning on finding Ulysses. We need leads."

"Well, if you are trying to stay out of the agency's hair, I don't think it's in your best interest to head West any further than you already have."

Dr. Mott sat up and walked into the hall. He ushered Richard to the nearest television. Dr. Mott manually changed the channel. All other channels had a standby in blocky letters or were black and off-air. When he turned to the local news station, the same list of towns was flashing across the screen. That's when Richard noticed what was wrong.

"We don't know who is controlling communication. If our safe bet is the agency, then you are putting yourself in danger by heading there."

"Ulysses is a mercenary. You don't know if he has an ambush waiting for you when you do reach him As ugly as Dana can get, he knows when to save himself."

Dr. Mott rolled Kenneth to the RV as Richard walked beside them for appearance sake. He could see that the RV was still and seemingly abandoned. The air blowing through the hole in the glass moved the curtain from inside slightly, but no figures could be seen.

"Everyone who left town has been running in the same direction as the rest of the country. I could not stop them if I wanted to. Patients here were registered prior to the outbreak or come from out of town, like you. The latter is rare unless they are from in-state."

Richard nodded in understanding and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before the door opened.

"We should've created a code or--whoa, is he paralyzed?"

"What?" Gabriel could be heard from inside the RV, but his head popped out from beside Isaac seconds later.

"He is fine. He shouldn't stress the stitches," Dr. Mott said. He stared at the twins with an amused look as they glanced at him wearily.

Kenneth stood up. He walked into the RV and removed the scrubs Dr. Mott gave him to wear and quickly put on another black shirt. Dr. Mott held out his hand to shake Gabriel and Isaac's hand.

"You can call me Dr. Mott. You must be the brothers Richard mentioned. Where's the little girl?"

"She... doesn't want to get up right now," Gabriel said as he looked into the RV.

"That's fine. We have a mental health professional on staff. From what I heard, we need to get her checked out."

"Does that mean we're staying?" Isaac inquired.

"Is this the safe haven?" Gabriel followed.

"A safe haven? No. Our town hasn't been designated for any services... but it is better that you stay here than continue for Ulysses."

"Ulysses?"

"The dealer in Arizona that Kenneth is familiar with. Everyone is heading in that direction. As well as I.D.A. But I'm sure that you don't want to confront any agents any time soon."

"Everyone is heading west..." Isaac whispered, mostly to himself. That's right. Abby was heading west and she told them the same thing. As much as he likes to believe that Alessa was getting the same hints, he couldn't know for sure unless he called her again and soon.

"You would have to stay anyway. Kenneth needs to rest and the girl needs to be put into professional care."

Gabriel picked Ansley up since she refused to sit up from the bed, but when he tried to hand her over to Dr. Mott, she clung on to him. The attempt spurred another onset of tears. Dr. Mott observed her carefully.

"This happens often with distressed children," Dr. Mott held out a syringe, "She will be fine. We just need to stop her from resisting."

"Hey, Ansley, look at me."

She didn't relinquish her hold from around his neck. Gabriel looked at Dr. Mott, clearly distressed himself. Dr. Mott walked around them and started speaking to Ansley. Gabriel soothed her back, walking her to the counter, as directed. Ansley didn't let go of his neck, but when one of her hands were freed, Dr. Mott quickly instructed Richard to bring a cotton swab with alcohol. He wiped it over her right shoulder and inserted the needle, then emptied the syringe. The way she fell lax made Gabriel's shiver in alarm. Her head lolled and she fell onto him, her only support at that moment. His hand rested on her head.

"Town is actually half an hour off. I would offer for you to stay in my neighbors home, but there's a lodging area that's closer--"

"We've seen it," Isaac noted.

"You can come over and check on her first thing in the morning," Dr. Mott said. He carried Ansley back outside and soon Kenneth's chair became hers. Her head lolled to the side and her hair spilled over her shoulders. Gabriel couldn't help, but remember the way Nancy's head fell over, lifeless, unable to hold herself up. It scared him.

"That was code for 'relax,' big bro."

"We... need to talk. Not--not in here," Gabriel looked up, "All of us. Where's the lodging?"

"Sit up here and keep me company. It's a few minutes away." Isaac ushered Gabriel over to the counter, but they didn't speak.

It was 12: 05 PM when they stepped out of the RV and took a good look at their environment. Nothing made Isaac further away from home than the snow sitting tucked beside the curb and on the portioned grass decorating the sidewalk, out of anyone's path. He hiked up his bag securely on top of his shoulder and felt the chilly air hug his exposed parts. Their summer clothes were no longer necessary for this cloudy weather. He almost laughed at the pilates sign above an entrance next to an archway leading to the main door. Nobody else found it amusing or paid much attention to it. They walked under the archway, where a car was parked next to the main entrance. Someone walked outside and froze, taking in their appearance. No words were exchanged, however. Inside, there was a small lobby with a wooden receptionist desk matching the woody and cream-like furniture and wall paint. A monochromatic acrylic painting of the state's bird, a Lark Bunting, hung on the wall right of the entrance.

"How do you know that?" Gabriel asked.

"I was trying to catch up on South Park and I ended up on a tangent."

"Shouldn't we stay in the motel where everyone else is?"

"Um... no."

Without anyone at the front desk, they were further convinced that everything that happened in the past two months was real. Isaac even hit the bell to be sure. No one came out. Isaac jumped over the desk and grabbed two pairs of keys. He looked at the computer to see the room capacity and sat up, shrugging. One or two people were walking around the halls. The building was being occupied. As they made their way to the elevator, it opened and someone walked out, whistling. He was bundled up in a jacket, but he had a pool floaty around his shoulder. He paused.

"I've never seen you all around here."

"Passing by. Taking advantage of the chaos."

"... You all look like you've seen some shit. They are complimentary facemasks in the bathrooms."

"Who maintains the place?"

"I do since Gabriel bailed with everyone else," He scoffed, "No sense in working now, am I right? Also, throw those outfits out--don't clog up the laundry and waste water. Blood's hella hard to get out. Don't call for Henry at the front desk for the next hour or so. I'll be at the rec center."

"What are the odds you'd almost meet someone with the same name as you?" Isaac smiled at Gabriel who shrugged. The receptionist walked outside and Richard called the elevator. The elevator ride was quiet and the search for the two rooms was quiet as well. Isaac pointed out to the couches in the middle of the hallway.

"We can meet up here in an hour or two." He started, but the feeling of dirt and grief got to him. He'd take those two hours.

"Why don't we rotate? You two looked like you'll kill each other if you spent a week in the same room. I'll give you two days to make up," Isaac looked up at Richard and Kenneth and pointed at them, "So make the fuck up."

Kenneth and Richard didn't look at each other and Isaac choose to ignore them, walking to the end of the hall. He looked at their keys and then back to the room in front of him. He turned around and looked at the room number behind him. Once that was confirmed, he threw Kenneth the keys.

"Alright, we're across from each other. Make yourselves at home."

"Wait. This won't take long," Gabriel cut in. Isaac sighed and looked at Richard and Kenneth, So much for the couches.

"We should stay here."

"We're three feet away from a room."

"I mean, we should stay in town and bring Alessa over."

"There's no need. You're safe here," Kenneth commented, his voice low.

"Where is this coming from?" Isaac asked.

"Alessa is being taken care of. And we all have a place to stay. It's not what I thought I'd be doing this summer, but at least we're safe. And when we're fine, we can keep trying to get Alessa back."

"You should be worrying about yourself."

"There are better things that you can do than search for her. Help with tech, surveillance--"

Kenneth turned to look at him with a displeased look. "This isn't something you need to take advantage of."

He looked back at Gabriel. "You don't have to get yourself involved if you don't want to."

Richard stopped talking and Isaac looked at them, equally annoyed. He stared at Richard. What did he let slip? What was Kenneth talking about? There was more to this and Isaac couldn't figure out what it was. Through, Kenneth did have one point. Isaac didn't want Gabriel spiraling into another mess that he didn't create. A door from across the hall started to open. They all stared at it, startling the person who came out. He gave them an annoyed look, but when he saw their gazes, he lifted his hands in defeat and closed the door. Isaac sighed. No one was on the same page.

"Gabe?"

Gabriel turned around and looked at him.

"You agree, don't you? With Kenneth and I?" Gabriel walked up to him. "We should just let things die down for now. We still have Alessa's number."

"Uh," Isaac started. He forced a smile and nodded. "Right. Right. Lay low. Got it. I call dibs on the shower first."

He walked around Gabriel and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. There was no way that they all would be staying put. Not with I.D.A involved. Richard and Kenneth know something and Isaac feels it in his gut. He wanted to find out what it was. But Isaac feared it might be too late to convince Gabriel to help him.


	11. Carpe Diem

Isaac sighed as he pulled his jacket off. The last place he thought he would visit during the summer was a ski resort. It wasn't his style, in other words. But neither was camping. Even so, he should have felt excited at the prospect of doing something fun because that's what the summer was for. From the moment he woke up, an numbing sense of anticipation kept building up in him and he knew that he would be up to no good soon. Everything came with time, he thought, both good and bad. And right now, Isaac couldn't tell whether or not being here was a good idea.

"Didn't you have fun?"

He looked up at Gabriel who pulled his boots off, placing them outside beside the door and closing it on his way in. Isaac smiled, pulling his goggles off.

"No, yeah, it was fun. If Henry wasn't such a dick, it would've been better," Isaac would find a way to give the receptionist hell. Gabriel was full of laughs and smiles this afternoon and though Isaac was glad, he was also embarrassed. He had the most trouble making his way down the slope and fell the most, but that was no surprise. Gabriel had always been more inclined to sports while Isaac hung out with Alessa, mostly partying. And now, none of that really mattered he thought. Gabriel noticed his rueful smile. It was a sudden change of mood that he decided to fix. He gathered some snow that had fallen in his hoodie and pressed it to Isaac's cheek. Isaac pushed him aside and laughed at his face. His nose looked red and his freckles stuck out more against his cold cheeks. Gabriel even had the indent of the goggles on his face, a red line running over his nose cheeks and around his eyes. Isaac guessed that he probably looked the same, if not worse, with how much he became intimate with the snow. Gabriel shivered as snow fell onto the floor from his goggles.

"I don't think you were supposed to fall as much as you did."

Isaac's face heated up from the memory of falling down the slopes, but he was quick to show a dismissive attitude and brushed his damp hair out of his face. Even with his vision cleaned, Gabriel was still smiling. After their visit to the hospital this morning, Gabriel looked better. Ansley clung to him, which wasn't unexpected, but Gabriel's tears were. Isaac ran his hand down his face. That. That could make things fall apart. Attachment, of all things.

"Shit, shit, shit.

"What's wrong?"

Isaac looked up at Gabriel who was pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He looked at Gabriel and clasped his hands together.

"I... uh... We left Richard and Ken doll alone," Isaac nodded and pursed his lips. "Yeah, very, very bad."

Gabriel gave Isaac a quick confused look, but he seemed genuinely concerned as well and finished putting his things down. He and Isaac quickly left after that, much to Isaac's relief. They knocked on the others' room, but got no response. Henry was lounging at the receptionist desk, when they had gone downstairs, his legs propped up as he fiddled with his phone. He must have gotten distracted or lazy because he was still in his ski gear, when they made their way downstairs. Isaac stared at his phone before he pushed Henry's feet off the desk.

"Hey--?"

"It was just a push," Isaac pinched the leg that hadn't fallen off yet. "That's for pushing me." Henry flinched.

"It was a headstart. Gentle, I may add."

"Okay, whatever. Have you seen the others?"

"Yeah," He put his phone down, "Well, Jeremy's kid invited them to rec center."

"For what?"

"Dunno. To swim? I've only ever gone to the pool."

Isaac looked at his beer belly and put his lips into a straight line. He asked Henry to get up and take them there since it wasn't close. Henry begrudgingly led them to his silver truck, though Isaac wondered if it was his car--he wasn't judging--and took them to the center. Isaac could smell the chlorine as soon as the doors to the lobby slid open. He walked up to a blown-up map of the center in the middle of the lobby and scanned the area.

"I've only been to the pool," He said, mocking Henry. "Do you even swim or do you take credit for the distance the wave move you from one end to the other?"

"Ouch. Personal," Henry whined.

"Isaac..."

Isaac glanced at Gabriel and looked up at Henry. He forced a smile, though some of it was genuine. He supposed that it was rather rude, so to apologize, he patted Henry on his thick arm, which jiggled gently since he was only wearing a sweater. It was soft and definitely proof that he had let himself go some time ago, but Isaac didn't mention anything. He was apologizing, after all.

"It's all love, Henry. Mind if I call you H-man?"

"Oh... sure..."

Isaac smiled wittily and winked at Gabriel before leading the way. Henry seemed to like the nickname or maybe Isaac's apparent friendliness, which made Gabriel worry about how easily manipulated Henry could be.

"There's a gym, let's check there."

"Why'd you assume they'd go there?"

"They need to blow steam. All that testosterone's going to their heads."

"Sound like assholes."

"In other words..." Isaac smiled meanly and Gabriel ignored the remark. "You know, you speak my language H-man."

Henry laughed and Gabriel couldn't help, but send him a discrete, weary side-eye. He otherwise remained quiet. He wondered how long its been since Henry's hung out with friends or anyone decent before the outbreak. Or he was an awkward guy. That could be it too. They made their way past the pool, the smell of chlorine potent at this point, and up a set of stairs. Isaac marveled at the large swirly slide in the middle and the clear waters, but such a grand area was so empty. Gabriel couldn't see himself coming here any time soon. It didn't take them long to make it to the gym. Kenneth came crashing down on a set of mats and the crowd around them cheered.

"I told you."

"Hey, hey--Elie. What the hell is going on?" Henry called out.

Isaac recognized the guy that Richard had asked directions for. He waved at Henry and then smiled at Isaac.

"Invited the newbies over. Looks like you guys were the one with the vendetta."

"Geez, did you get that a size smaller than you needed it?" Isaac laughed. Elie's shirt was skin tight, compared to his looser sweats. Isaac didn't want to complain--well, he wasn't complaining--but he saw the chance and he took it.

"That hurts."

"It's a compliment."

"Really?"

"I don't know. Honestly. I don't even think you need to be at the gym."

"That's also a compliment?"

"Isaac, seriously?" Gabriel asked, annoyed.

"Hey, I'm stalling. If they end up killing themselves," Isaac shrugged and Gabriel frowned. Isaac sighed and took Elie's water as he followed Gabriel through crowd. Elie sat up straighter and blinked. He looked back and forth between them, surprised. Gabriel walked past them to the front and Isaac took Elie's water and followed, walking past the crowd. He opened the bottle and chucked some water towards them. Like he expected, Kenneth saw it and moved out of the way, but Richard stopped for a moment. He flicked the water that got on his arm away, but he still glared at Kenneth with a displeased look and Kenneth returned the gesture.

"You're supposed to be off-duty, Ken doll. Fuck." He forcefully pulled up Kenneth's shirt and revealed that the stitches were loose, the wound irritated and bloody. "Manny, you freaking--"

"Whoa, we didn't know he'd had stitches. I wouldn't have let it got that far if--"

"It's fine. I mean, it's not. They forgot to use their words." Isaac reassured Elie. He sat up.

"Henry, could you drive him back to Dr. Mott?"

"Dammit, I'm not a chauffeur."

"Well, you're not supposed to be a guest either."

"I'll drive you over," Elie offered. "I know Dr. Mott. Besides, I shouldn't have--"

Isaac looked up from his spot next to Richard. "That's sweet and all, but--no."

"I'll drive him over," Gabriel said, "I'll stop by Ansley's room."

"With whose car!"

"There are plenty of cars around," Isaac said.

"We'll just take our RV," Gabriel said, annoyed.

Henry gave in and apologized. Gabriel led the way as Kenneth followed and Henry treaded gingerly. He nodded and turned back to Richard. He waited for Richard to get up.

Richard didn't bother wearing his jacket on. The walk back to their floor was quiet and when Richard opened his door, Isaac stopped by the doorway. He let the door slide shut behind himself.

"I thought you two would let bygones be bygones."

"What will you do the next time he takes Gabriel and doesn't come back?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Isaac eyed Richard. "I thought he was a "colleague," Isaac emphasized lamely, "Not a butler. Or does that become difficult to distinguish when he doesn't play by your rules."

Richard didn't dignify him with a response. Isaac didn't get this. Why were they fighting? Was it just an act? Richard looked incredibly annoyed and tense. He hadn't gotten anymore calm than he was last night.

"Gabe isn't interested in leaving."

Richard glanced at him. Isaac felt as if he knew what Richard was referring to. He pursed his lips.

"I don't think Gabe's into the bad boy type, Manny," he rolled his eyes.

"This isn't a joke."

"I'm not making it one," Isaac paused. "I'm not angry at you because some other guy made a reckless decision."

Isaac sighed and sat down, crossed legged, staring up at Richard who seemed to be glaring at the floor. He met Isaac's eyes and looked away, placing his hand on his chin to staring at the wall to the right.

"But I'll be upset if you let him pull a stunt like that again... Obviously." In the two to three months they've been on the road, Isaac never bothered to ask Kenneth about his backstory. Who he was. Why he thought it was cool to put up a new persona for Gabriel. He was as good as a stranger. All Isaac was sure of was that he was willing to put himself in harms way as long as Richard told him to do it. They never had a problem talking before. They talked plenty of times, but Isaac realized it might have all been about strategizing and planning. Yet, Kenneth did things without a question and if he did, it was reasonable. If that wasn't loyalty, then Isaac wasn't sure what was. They could be a force to reckon with if they weren't feuding like children, Isaac thought.

"You two still haven't figured your shit out, so I'll take a wager and guess you don't know what you're going to do."

Richard didn't speak.

"Look... I get that I give you grief, but even I have a heart."

Still no response. Isaac sighed and stood up. He removed his jacket, throwing it on the other bed. He held Richard's chin up and smiled down at him. Richard held his gaze as he sat on his lap.

"Does this cheer you up?"

"What do you want?" Richard said flatly. "You separated us already."

"So you do speak," Isaac said, annoyed. "I'm comforting you," Isaac said, mocking a hurt tone. "You look like you need it."

Richard didn't say much else, which annoyed Isaac. He put his mouth to Richard's collarbone. He kissed up to his neck and licked it.  
It was the oddest feeling at the moment: patience. He was sure that half of it was demanding the same affection Richard had always shown him, the other half of it was skipping all of that and succumbing to 100% unadulterated pleasure. How confusing, Isaac thought, he was pulling Richard's strings either way.

"Don't ignore me," was all he said, pouting. He chased Richard's eyes and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "I just want to play. Otherwise, I always find someone to play with. What do you think of Elie? Think he's interested?"

Richard let out a breath through his nose and wrapped his arms tighter around Isaac, leaning his head on his shoulder. Isaac played with Richard's curly tufts of brown hair, ruffling it though it was the wildest it would be out of work-outs. Isaac's smile was pressed against Richard's neck, but Richard didn't seem to be in the mood for acknowledging whatever it was that he could be laughing about in this present moment.

"Or... we can sit like this," He muttered. Eventually, the amusement died as Isaac realized the predicament he found himself in. Now that Isaac wanted to play, Richard didn't seem to be interested in amusing the idea. If Richard was going to be moody, Isaac would rather wait until it was over--if he stayed that long. He could figure things out without Richard. He moved to leave, but Richard kept his hands wrapped around his waist.

Isaac could still taste the salt of Richard's sweat on his tongue, and his scent was strong this close. It was warm and he felt engulfed, but the safety didn't calm him down. It made him wary and cautious. Richard's eyes were a lovely shade of green. Moss green, Isaac called them. They contrasted nicely with his dark skin and whenever they darted around, he swore they disappeared. Such a beautiful pair of eyes were the most sensitive to the sun. Isaac wondered if he was like the sun.

"That's enough," He said, but Richard didn't let him go. He was annoyed when Richard licked his neck in the same manner.

"You hadn't called me that in a while."

"What? Manny? I give everyone nicknames," He rolled his eyes. Richard didn't give him a response.

"Have you ever thought of killing me before?"

"Whoa--"

"Because you can."

Isaac was genuinely taken aback. The thought of killing someone, let alone, something was a foreign thought to him. At the end of a gun, he could distance himself as far from the person or thing at the and of the barrel. And he and Richard have had, as he would put it, a shit ton of disagreements that have made Isaac want to hurt Richard, but he has never considered killing him. He couldn't tell if Richard was serious or joking, but he realized that Richard was smiling at him. It wasn't malicious and it wasn't snarky. It was warm.

"Normally silence would be a bad sign--"

"I'd still break your arm. Or leg," Isaac said quickly, annoyed that he paused so long. Richard lifted his chin and continued to stare at him with that weird smile.

"Are you amused?"

"Thoroughly."

"So, I take that you feel better," Isaac muttered, placing his hand on Richard's to move it. It had snaked lower and he just now realized it. He dug his nails into Richard's skin, but they were blunt from damage anyway and Richard's glow seemed to distract him from the suggestion of Isaac's fingers.

"So, I've done my job and--no, no, no," Isaac moved Richard's face when he tried to come in for a kiss.

“You’re delusional,” Isaac pursed his lips. Richard had that look in his eyes, when he was feeling affectionate. Isaac liked to call it Prince Charming Syndrome and it was very dangerous to kiss a guy going through it.

“It’s happened before.”

“The psychotic break?” Isaac joked dryly.

Richard only raised an eyebrow.

“Exceptions. Happen,” Isaac bit back.

“And habits are habits for a reason.”

Isaac didn't like a confident Richard because a confident Richard like to play things his own way and Isaac didn't like being toyed with.

"Yeah, well, habits can be broken," Isaac frowned. "Let go."

This time, Richard let him out of his lap, though he held on loosely to Isaac's wrist.

"I'm starting to think that I should take you on your offer."

Richard seemed amused, but he didn't humor the idea. Again, Isaac felt irritated.

"You wanted to get information, right?" Richard began. Isaac shrugged. He didn't care anymore. Richard had wasted enough of his time.

"I'll let go, but I need you to listen."

Isaac flopped back onto his bed, hugging the soft sheets. He gripped them tighter and gritted his teeth, seething from the memory of his conversation with Richard. Richard had lied. He hadn't had any information to offer. Isaac made a mistake in going to him. He threw a pillow and it landed on the ground with a soft thump. He turned around and lay still. He was flushed red from his bath and the bathrobe he wore was a bit big for him, but it hugged his body in a heavenly way. He wanted to sleep as he lay there. He wasn't sure when Gabriel would get back, or if he was in the area since no one has come knocking yet. The thought of his brother was enough to get him out of the bed and search quickly for a change of clothes. He passed by a mirror attached to a closet door and stopped in his tracks, moving back to take a look at himself in it. There was nothing in particular that he was looking at. His skin was unmarred by anything else, but genetics. He closed his eyes and tried to think, to feel, to memorize the feel of Richard's hand on his back. If he thought hard enough, then maybe, he'd want that sensation to be warm and heavy and present for hours. So, he didn't think hard about it.

"Not even in another life..." He trailed off and glanced to the right. What was he looking for? He turned back around and walked to the bedroom. He looked at the landline on the desk between his bed and Gabriel's. He picked it up and dialed in a number.

Isaac didn't even have the chance to inhale and exhale before he heard someone pick up. No one spoke, initially. Isaac squinted because he was trying to visualize what he was hearing. Loud swish-like sounds which reminded Isaac of the wind when he left the car window open as it moved. Among the wind were rushed footsteps and muffled voices. He waited for silence, but it didn't come any time soon. The person holding the phone stopped running, but there were other footsteps in the distance. Isaac crossed his legs and waited.

"Wrong time to call."

"Didn't know we needed to schedule a call."

"W-whoa, what are you doing?"

"You've never seen a woman naked?" Alessa drawled. Her shuffling continued as the person with her stuttered, embarrassed.

"Hurry up and change," She said, annoyed. Isaac didn't know whether to be upset or proud of Alessa's teasing. Most of all, he was confused. There were more shuffling sounds as Alessa urged the other person into what might have been a room.

"Gabriel's away, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm guessing he isn't ready?"

"Right," Isaac sighed. Gabriel had it in him to see Alessa safe, but he didn't have the will. Alessa gave him the chance to seek a calm again and Isaac couldn't tell if he was angry or understanding of Gabriel's passivity. Alessa was on the same page as Isaac. Isaac ran his hands through his hair. This was why Alessa wanted to talk to him first.

He was worried that she was further out west than he was, but she was a state away south. She knew about the mass migration, the general manner as to how to kill the bodies, and loss of communication between the public and the government. Most importantly, she knew that Richard wasn't reliable.

"Kenneth's been convincing Gabriel to stay put. But I'm not buying it. What reason do they have to stay here for who knows how long? They're more likely to leave and find answers."

"Did they say anything?"

"No. Richard and Kenneth have been acting like they've got something stuck up their asses. Kenneth was shot ad Richard blames him. You can't plan your next move when someone's become a liability."

"Especially if you need to do something—urgently," Alessa agreed, "Has he told you anything?"

"Nothing important."

"So, he's said something."  
"No."

"So... he's said something."

Isaac got over the strange lurch in his stomach. He suddenly felt as if he was gossiping, but it wasn't gossip. It wasn't drama. Not unless you make it, Isaac thought bitterly.

"He wants me to leave."

She laughed. "Why?"

"Says I'm more than capable of doing it," Isaac rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well anyone can take a car and be on their merry way."

"Maybe he's admitting you're better off with me."

"Maybe he's right."

Alessa hummed and left it at that. It wasn't a playful hum, but she also didn't sound pleased. "I miss you, Isaac."

Isaac looked up. He was staring at his nails and their sad state. He hadn't realized that Alessa was quiet for so long since he was too busy trying to understand his motives. He couldn't bring himself to smile. He missed their playful banter and her presence. It's taken so long for them to get here.

"Yeah, well, not for long... Alright. What do you have for me?"

"Get this: Fernando Alexander Soltra, former Head of Immunization Research; former Director of Intelligence Operations. Says here he's gotten an indictment for tampering with classified information regarding deceased agents and civilians. He was relegated, but the person's name's been crossed out," Alessa read out.

"When did this happen?"

"Processing was finished mid-January. He didn't meet the board. Otherwise, we'd have documents for those meetings or blanks suggesting it."

"So, he was reprimanded and discharged for grave-robbing?" Isaac frowned. Grave-robbing of all things? The Dr. Soltra Isaac knew put up a classy, upstanding, and strict appearance. Gelled-back hair and diamond cufflink kind of man. "Science for the betterment of humanity" kind of researcher. He wasn't lawless, but Isaac wouldn't put it behind him to bend a few rules. This was the first of lows Isaac heard of.

"That's what I thought, but how would it take less than a month to remove this guy of this status from his high horse," Alessa said as more papers shuffled in the background, "And then I found this gem: his trail's been cold since December."

Alessa laughed. "Daddy's in trouble."

Any fatigue and warmth he had been feeling flushed away. Isaac suddenly felt a rush of paranoia sweep over him. This is what Richard wasn't telling him?

"I think lover boy wants you--well, us--to help him out. That's cute."

"Alessa, this is not funny. Where the hell did you get this information? Where are you?"

"Far away from the guys who had this on them. Calm down. I figured that when the agency tried to kill my ass, that I'd need to dig up some demon and I've found them. Z, as far as the world knows, I'm as good as dead. I've burned my bridges."

"Then why was that trap set up in your house?"

"I don't think that it was a set up for me," She explained, "Mom was a target and I'm sure Ashton was too. Isaac, your parents never left the home."

There was a knock on the door, which made Isaac jump. He'd lost his train of thought and reflexively turned to the door, which, to his horror, was being unlocked. He couldn't see it. The kitchen was immediately visible from his spot in the bedroom. It was a blind spot. The door became the least of his worries when Alessa said the next few words.

"My guess: They're after anyone with a connection to you. If they aren't dead already."

To Gabriel, he'd walked in his brother shouting at someone at one of the local restaurants that were on their last lifeline since corporate operations were on hold as well. They were arguing about whether or not it was still worth giving five dollars for something that technically didn't have value at this point when Gabriel sat beside him. Isaac looked at him and handed him the phone, frowning.

"Hello?"

"H-hello? Are you going to yell at me too?"

Gabriel laughed and excused Isaac's attitude. He asked to be caught up to speed with the ridiculous situation and they found themselves in.

"He said he'd give you the phone number and address of a shipping house if you'd stop bitching."

"I-I didn't say that!" The poor employee screamed over the receiver. Isaac rolled his eyes and asked for pen and paper, which Gabriel quickly got up and fetched.

"What is it?" Isaac asked, writing down the address and phone number. He stared at them for a moment, before placing the phone down.

"Thanks. I lost my appetite." Isaac rolled his eye and put the phone back in its cradle. His hand shook a little, but he waited for that to get under control, pretending to read the details, before he turned to Gabriel and smiled.

"You're seriously going to go there?

"Yeah, we are going to go there. We might find actual gold."

"Or rotten vegetables."

"Well, we weren't fated to cross paths with a twinkie truck," He said with an air of exaggeration. "So, rotten veggies might be better than nothing. Who knows? We might feed a raccoon or two and add them to this great family... assemble... thing."

"... Right..." Gabriel watched Isaac get up and walk away. Isaac looked behind him and stared at raised an eyebrow. "You're not happy about this."

"I..." Isaac put the paper in his pocket and glanced at Gabriel who stared at him for a moment. He sighed and picked up his coat. "I am not complaining. Are you feeling up to take a walk outside?"

Gabriel decidedly followed Isaac outside. He appreciated that Elie found a coat for them because the nights here were colder than at home, but it was bearable. Gabriel wasn't sure where it was that Isaac was taking him, but Henry was no longer at the receptionist desk.

"Help me look for a flashlight. They keep those for emergencies, right?"

"Where are we going?"

"To see Elie and the gang. There are probably fun things to do here besides look at trees," Isaac said, standing up from behind the receptionist desk. Gabriel walked down the hall and around a corner. He found a janitor's closet where Isaac followed suit. Isaac climbed on Gabriel's back and check out the higher shelves while Gabriel, limited in movement felt around for a flashlight-shaped object. Isaac looked down at him and smiled. When he hopped off, he squeezed Gabriel's shoulder and apologized endearingly in Korean.

Gabriel shrugged and closed the door as they started to make their way outside. Darkness came a lot sooner than it would have in their home state too. But, the flashlight wasn't necessary at the moment. They walked closely together and spoke in hushed voices as they made their way down the roads. Isaac was both surprised and not surprised that they had something to talk about, It was almost like when they planned to go to parties back on campus, talking animatedly as they passed other students across the cobblestoned grounds. Isaac would be on his right and Ashton would be on his left and they would all joke around. Isaac looked at Gabriel and smiled as he talked about how Dr. Mott disciplined him.

"I guess anyone who's seen you in diapers holds that--"

Isaac screamed as someone scooped him up from the ground. He covered his mouth and muffled his screams. Gabriel quickly realized that Isaac was just laughing. Someone was tickling him. He picked up the flashlight and flashed it at where Isaac was picked up and was surprised to see that Isaac had knocked them over and brought their arm behind their back.

"You seem to take life for granted," Isaac hissed.

"Hey, you came out here looking for adventure! Shit-- your grip. Sorry?"

Isaac sat up and crossed his arms as Elie sat up and dusted himself off. Suddenly, a bunch of other flashlights lit up around them. Isaac glanced at Gabriel apologetically as everyone stared at them in awe, if not fear.

"Sorry," Isaac muttered, helping Elie up.

"Whoa, self-defense lessons teach you that?"

"No--" Isaac started.

Gabriel cut in before he could make any snarky comments."Our parents took us to martial arts classes. Pretty effective."

"...I'll say."

Isaac turned around and realized that they'd reached another hotel closer to the entrance. He took the flashlight from Gabriel and waved it, pointing to the group.

"This is?"

"Adventure. Kind of. We were hanging out, but the lights had cut off."

"Cut off?"

"Yeah, they've been doing that for a while, but since our towns a bit more remote, we've been relying on generators when that happens. So, they should be going up in about--"

Elie held up three fingers and when his last one went down, the streets lit up again. Everyone around them cheered, but Isaac was so lost in thought that their voices were drowned out. This would be helpful. He just didn't know for what yet. If Richard really did want him to make a disappearing act, he'd need to make a commotion. He would need that generator. Isaac hadn't even realized that they were surrounded by darkness until every source of light went back up. It was eerie, but oddly mesmerizing, the way the streets glowed against a dark sky. The stars were much more visible here as well.

"Thanks Jay!" Elie said, speaking into a handheld transceiver. Isaac looked at Gabriel.

"See, fun?" Isaac smiled at Gabriel and nudged him. Gabriel shrugged and glanced away, then back at him. Isaac turned around and looked at Elie.

"So, what else do you all do for fun?" He said, excitedly. Elie lead them around and introduced them to a few of his friends. Lory was this girl with huge swept over bangs, still in high school, since she seemed to be stuck in a defiant phase where black seemed cool. Nathan was the same age as Elie, a year older than Gabriel and he, and seemed to have a pep in his step. He seemed to get along with everyone. Jay was also a high schooler and if anyone looked like they would geek out over the inner-mechanics of a car, it was Jay. He had these adorable denim overalls with patches all over his right breast area and goggles hanging over his collarbones, When he'd come to greet them, Isaac was surprised by how soft-spoken he was, though he was taller than all of them.

Isaac looked back at Gabriel and felt tempted to hold his hand, but decided against it. Isaac was more convinced that this new life wouldn't be his and that these people were temporary. Eventually, he would meet with Alessa. So, he would need Gabriel to know all of these people because he couldn't.

Isaac didn't know what Richard was up to since he asked him to prepare to leave. Now that Kenneth was forced to stay in the hospital to avoid other incidents like the one he and Richard had pulled, Isaac now had the room to himself as Gabriel and Richard moved into the same room. Gabriel, however, didn't let Isaac slide from this.  
"You're going to the hospital."

"The hospital isn't my room."

"It's where your roommate is at, isn't it?"

Isaac sighed as he borrowed one of the cars and drove towards the hospital. The road was empty and it stretched onwards from what Isaac could see in his car. He gripped the wheel and inched closer and closer to nowhere. He couldn't leave now, but he knew that he could and there would be nothing to hold him back. But there was nothing out there waiting for him. He switched lanes and drove up the ramp where a new road and new snow-covered trees awaited his service and admiration. The drive into the parking lot of the hospital was slow and his movements to take the key out of its place was slow, but he quickly walked into the hospital.

It didn't take him long to see Dr. Mott. He was surrounded by other staff, who were discussing something at the receptionist desk.

"Dr. Mott?" Isaac asked.

Dr. Mott turned around and smiled wearily as he excused himself and walked towards Isaac, ushering him towards a flight of stairs. Isaac explained what it was that he was doing in the hospital. Dr. Mott was amused, if Isaac couldn't already tell from his laugh. His smile reached his blue eyes and Isaac realized that he had dimples in that stubble of his. He was also tired.

"What's going on?"

"There's been a problem with power outages, but I wouldn't call these by chance. They've happened periodically. We've had someone stationed at the generators, but for patients caught in that stillness, we can't do much if something fails. It happens all too fast."

"It isn't connected to the generators in town, right?"

"No."

"So, you take anyone that comes in?"

"There's no reason for us not to."

Dr. Mott opened the door to the third floor and moved so that Isaac could walk into the hallway. This floor looked the same as any other. It was just as sterile and blindingly white with bland chairs that were connected to each other outside of rooms. They made their way to a room across the room to the hall and just as they made it inside, Kenneth looked at the door. He was sitting cross-legged, the sheets bunched up at the end of the bed. Kenneth didn't say much and looked back outside.

"Well, hello to you too," Isaac said, pulling out a chair. He waved goodbye to Dr. Mott who warned him not to wander the halls. Isaac turned back around to Kenneth. They didn't say anything for a while and instead choose to hold a preferred silence.

"What's going on between you and Richard?"

"... a disagreement."

Isaac held in a rude reply. Instead, he continued where he was left off. "You know what? I have a bone to pick with you. I need Gabe willing to walk with me and right now, I don't know if that's going to happen."

Kenneth looked him in the eyes this time and Isaac sat straight, his arms crossed.

"He was right," Kenneth looked at his hands, which lay at his lap and flexed his fingers as if suddenly remembering that they existed. "I don't know what you two went through at WP or before it, but Gabriel seems to be happy with anything he's got," Kenneth said quietly.

"I don't blame him," Isaac pursed his lips. "But he doesn't settle, Kenneth. He just doesn't want to live not knowing whether or not he'll be living a normal life or enlisted the next. I'm not as wistful."

"So you force your schemes on to him. Because you think it's the best for him."

Isaac opened his mouth to speak again, but Kenneth cut in again.

"I've never pretended to know your experience. But I've lived what you fear to. What he fears to live through. If he wants to stay, I see no problem with it. It's your choice to leave. Not his."

Isaac wanted it to be with malice, but he stared at Kenneth for a moment. He wasn't some mindless puppet. For one, he was crazy, that was for sure, because someone with that kind of confidence was asking for Isaac's fury. And Kenneth was trill nothing more than a stranger to him. Kenneth really did have his own agendas and when they clashed with Richard's it was more than obvious that the were separate bodies. Two different people. Isaac wanted to throw out another insult, but this wasn't a cat fight with Stacy Black. It was a conversation. It was a confrontation. It was a realization for Isaac, that Richard and Kenneth had two different expectations about them. Kenneth didn't care about Gabriel's skills and his merits if Gabriel didn't care about them either. What a waste, Isaac thought.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you have a crush on him," Isaac shrugged. "Or it could be 'good intentions.' But, let's humor the former thought. Yeah... that's right... According to your logic, he's into normal people. You know—people who actually flinch at the sight of a dead body, people who look for boring entry-level jobs not ex-cons, people who don't go looking for bullets to catch. Actually, I'm sure it's a bonus if you're the hero-type. You know, like saving a car from a tree."

Isaac stared blatantly at Kenneth's exposed arms. "I mean, unless all of those are from a pretty nasty paper cut. Or two."

Kenneth looked at him with a blank look. Isaac sighed.

"Don't stare at me. Let me be bitter," He sat up and started pacing the room. "I mean he called you 'Library Guy' and God dammit it was fucking cute. What did it matter? It was a phase. It was a nobody..." Isaac trailed off and shook his head.

"But, honestly, I could care less if you're going out of your way to keep him safe. Why would I have a problem with that? It's why you want to get close which bothers me."

"Then, you're worrying about the wrong things." Kenneth said flatly. It deflated the situation more than Isaac wanted it to. There were worse things Kenneth could have said that ran through Isaac's head and Kenneth went for the option he didn't think of. This conversation was over. Isaac balled his hands into fists and turned around, making his way towards the door.

"I'm going to look for Ansley."

Kenneth didn't stop him and Isaac wouldn't have stopped if he tried. He wanted to be angry, but the more time ticked by, he realized that Gabriel wasn't getting any closer to him and the idea of leaving. As much as he hated the idea, Richard would still be here. And Kenneth, he thought. Kenneth would still be here. Could he really complain?

When he found the children's wing, he couldn't bring himself to walk into the playroom. Ansley sat on the floor playing with other kids in a hospital gown. Her smile was small as she showed another girl a doll she held. Her back was turned to him, but the girl in front of her waved at Isaac and he waved back, weakly. It caught Ansley's attention, but before she could see him, he quickly made his way down the nearest stairs. He found himself back on the first floor, heading towards the waiting area. He sighed when he noticed that he had taken a different flight of stairs. He would need to walk past the waiting area because he couldn't trust taking the elevators if a power outage really did recently happen. He was turning a corner someone bumped into him from behind. He turned around and stared at the woman who glared at him with utter disdain in her eyes. He blinked and moved back, but when she leaned over towards him, he realized that she was clutching her sides. She was bleeding out and in pain. When she collapsed, nurses were already at her side and helping her onto a stretcher. Isaac watched them disappear behind double doors as they made their way to surgery. Isaac sat there and gathered his thoughts. Was this Dr. Soltra's fault? Or was it the person who meddled with research? He looked back when someone stood in front of him.

"Where is that blood from?"

"A patient," Isaac pointed to his left, "who went into surgery."

"So she saw you," Dr. Mott sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"She seemed pretty out of it."

Dr. Mott didn't say anything and instead lead him into the bathroom to wash up. Isaac took his time washing to blood off, if not to stall the time it would take him to get back to Kenneth's room.

"She was one of the first agents to leave. Her family came to my house when they realized she had gone. A few years older than you."

"How did she get back?" Isaac said as they made their way into the elevator. He looked around then at Dr. Mott who pressed the button for Kenneth's floor.

"We found her crawling out of a car. Whoever must have driven her here is gone. I've asked a couple of friends to keep a lookout. I don't know how she could have ended up like that."

They reached the third floor and walked the distance from the elevator to Kenneth's room.

"When I say stay here, I mean it this time."

Isaac didn't say anything nor did he acknowledge Kenneth this time. He left Kenneth to his thoughts and he sorted his own. Dr. Mott handed Kenneth a handful of candy that spread across his lap Isaac reclined and thought that if Kenneth gave in and took a smoke, he wouldn't blame him. He would join him.Isaac sighed as he pulled his jacket off. The last place he thought he would visit during the summer was a ski resort. It wasn't his style, in other words. But neither was camping. Even so, he should have felt excited at the prospect of doing something fun because that's what the summer was for. From the moment he woke up, an numbing sense of anticipation kept building up in him and he knew that he would be up to no good soon. Everything came with time, he thought, both good and bad. And right now, Isaac couldn't tell whether or not being here was a good idea.

"Didn't you have fun?"

He looked up at Gabriel who pulled his boots off, placing them outside besides the door and closing it on his way in. Isaac smiled, pulling his goggles off.

"No, yeah, it was fun. If Henry wasn't such a dick, it would've been better," Isaac would find a way to give the receptionist hell. Gabriel was full of laughs and smiles this afternoon and though Isaac was glad, he was also embarrassed. He had the most trouble making his way down the slope and fell the most, but that was no surprise. Gabriel had always been more inclined to sports while Isaac hung out with Alessa, mostly partying. And now, none of that really mattered he thought. Gabriel noticed his rueful smile. It was a sudden change of mood that he decided to fix. He gathered some snow that had fallen in his hoodie and pressed it to Isaac's cheek. Isaac pushed him aside and laughed at his face. His nose looked red and his freckles stuck out more against his cold cheeks. Gabriel even had the indent of the goggles on his face, a red line running over his nose cheeks and around his eyes. Isaac guessed that he probably looked the same, if not worse, with how much he became intimate with the snow. Gabriel shivered as snow fell onto the floor from his goggles.

"I don't think you were supposed to fall as much as you did."

Isaac's face heated up from the memory of falling down the slopes, but he was quick to show a dismissive attitude and brushed his damp hair out of his face. Even with his vision cleaned, Gabriel was still smiling. After their visit to the hospital this morning, Gabriel looked better. Ansley clung to him, which wasn't unexpected, but Gabriel's tears were. Isaac ran his hand down his face. That. That could make things fall apart. Attachment, of all things.

"Shit, shit, shit.

"What's wrong?"

Isaac looked up at Gabriel who was pulling a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He looked at Gabriel and clasped his hands together.

"I... uh... We left Richard and Ken doll alone," Isaac nodded and pursed his lips. "Yeah, very, very bad."

Gabriel gave Isaac a quick confused look, but he seemed genuinely concerned as well and finished putting his things down. He and Isaac quickly left after that, much to Isaac's relief. They knocked on the others' room, but got no response. Henry was lounging at the receptionist desk, when they had gone downstairs, his legs propped up as he fiddled with his phone. He must have gotten distracted or lazy because he was still in his ski gear, when they made their way downstairs. Isaac stared at his phone before he pushed Henry's feet off the desk.

"Hey--?"

"It was just a push," Isaac pinched the leg that hadn't fallen off yet. "That's for pushing me." Henry flinched.

"It was a headstart. Gentle, I may add."

"Okay, whatever. Have you seen the others?"

"Yeah," He put his phone down, "Well, Jeremy's kid invited them to rec center."

"For what?"

"Dunno. To swim? I've only ever gone to the pool."

Isaac looked at his beer belly and put his lips into a straight line. He asked Henry to get up and take them there since it wasn't close. Henry begrudgingly led them to his silver truck, though Isaac wondered if it was his car--he wasn't judging--and took them to the center. Isaac could smell the chlorine as soon as the doors to the lobby slid open. He walked up to a blown-up map of the center in the middle of the lobby and scanned the area.

"I've only been to the pool," He said, mocking Henry. "Do you even swim or do you take credit for the distance the wave move you from one end to the other?"

"Ouch. Personal," Henry whined.

"Isaac..."

Isaac glanced at Gabriel and looked up at Henry. He forced a smile, through some of it was genuine. He supposed that it was rather rude, so to apologize, he patted Henry on his thick arm, which jiggled gently since he was only wearing a sweater. It was soft and definitely proof that he had let himself go some time ago, but Isaac didn't mention anything. He was apologizing, after all.

"It's all love, Henry. Mind if I call you H-man?"

"Oh... sure..."

Isaac smile wittily and winked at Gabriel before leading the way. Henry seemed to like the nickname or maybe Isaac's apparent friendliness, which made Gabriel worry about how easily manipulated Henry could be.

"There's a gym, let's check there."

"Why'd you assume they'd go there?"

"They need to blow steam. All that testorene's going to their heads."

"Sound like assholes."

"In other words..." Isaac smiled meanly and Gabriel ignored the remark. "You know, you speak my language H-man."

Henry laughed and Gabriel couldn't help, but send him a discrete, weary side-eye. He otherwise remained quiet. He wondered how long its been since Henry's hung out with friends or anyone decent before the outbreak. Or he was an awkward guy. That could be it too. They made their way past the pool, the smell of chlorine potent at this point, and up a set of stairs. Isaac marveled at the large swirly slide in the middle and the clear waters, but such a grand area was so empty. Gabriel couldn't see himself coming here any time soon. It didn't take them long to make it to the gym. Kenneth came crashing down on a set of mats and the crowd around them cheered.

"I told you."

"Hey, hey--Elie. What the hell is going on?" Henry called out.

Isaac recognized the guy that Richard had asked directions for. He waved at Henry and then smiled at Isaac.

"Invited the newbies over. Looks like you guys were the one with the vendetta."

"Geez, did you get that a size smaller than you needed it?" Isaac laughed. Elie's shirt was skin tight, compared to his looser sweats. Isaac didn't want to complain--well, he wasn't complaining--but he saw the chance and he took it.

"That hurts."

"It's a compliment."

"Really?"

"I don't know. Honestly. I don't even think you need to be at the gym."

"That's also a compliment?"

"Isaac, seriously?" Gabriel asked, annoyed.

"Hey, I'm stalling. If they end up killing themselves," Isaac shrugged and Gabriel frowned. Isaac sighed and took Elie's water as he followed Gabriel through crowd. Elie sat up straighter and blinked. He looked back and forth between them, surprised. Gabriel walked past them to the front and Isaac took Elie's water and followed, walking past the crowd. He opened the bottle and chucked some water towards them. Like he expected, Kenneth saw it and moved out of the way, but Richard stopped for a moment. He flicked the water that got on his arm away, but he still glared at Kenneth with a displeased look and Kenneth returned the gesture.

"You're supposed to be off-duty, Ken doll. Fuck." He forcefully pulled up Kenneth's shirt and revealed that the stitches were loose, the wound irritated and bloody. "Manny, you freaking--"

"Whoa, we didn't know he'd had stitches. I wouldn't have let it got that far if--"

"It's fine. I mean, it's not. They forgot to use their words." Isaac reassured Elie. He sat up.

"Henry, could you drive him back to Dr. Mott?"

"Dammit, I'm not a chauffeur."

"Well, you're not supposed to be a guest either."

"I'll drive you over," Elie offered. "I know Dr. Mott. Besides, I shouldn't have--"

Isaac looked up from his spot next to Richard. "That's sweet and all, but--no."

"I'll drive him over," Gabriel said, "I'll stop by Ansley's room."

"With whose car!"

"There are plenty of cars around," Isaac said.

"We'll just take our RV," Gabriel said, annoyed.

Henry gave in and apologized. Gabriel lead the way as Kenneth followed and Henry treaded gingerly. He nodded and turned back to Richard. He waited for Richard to get up.

Richard didn't bother wearing his jacket on. The walk back to their floor was quiet and when Richard opened his door, Isaac stopped by the doorway. He let the door slide shut behind himself.

"I thought you two would let bygones be bygones."

"What will you do the next time he takes Gabriel and doesn't come back?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Isaac eyed Richard. "I thought he was a "colleague," Isaac emphasized lamely, "Not a butler. Or does that become difficult to distinguish when he doesn't play by your rules."

Richard didn't dignify him with a response. Isaac didn't get this. Why were they fighting? Was it just an act? Richard looked incredibly annoyed and tense. He hadn't gotten anymore calm than he was last night.

"Gabe isn't interested in leaving."

Richard glanced at him. Isaac felt as if he knew what Richard was referring to. He pursed his lips.

"I don't think Gabe's into the bad boy type, Manny," he rolled his eyes.

"This isn't a joke."

"I'm not making it one," Isaac paused. "I'm not angry at you because some other guy made a reckless decision."

Isaac sighed and sat down, crossed legged, staring up at Richard who seemed to be glaring at the floor. He met Isaac's eyes and looked away, placing his hand on his chin to staring at the wall to the right.

"But I'll be upset if you let him pull a stunt like that again... Obviously." In the two to three months they've been on the road, Isaac never bothered to ask Kenneth about his backstory. Who he was. Why he thought it was cool to put up a new persona for Gabriel. He was as good as a stranger. All Isaac was sure of was that he was willing to put himself in harms way as long as Richard told him to do it. They never had a problem talking before. They talked plenty of times, but Isaac realized it might have all been about strategizing and planning. Yet, Kenneth did things without a question and if he did, it was reasonable. If that wasn't loyalty, then Isaac wasn't sure what was. They could be a force to reckon with if they weren't feuding like children, Isaac thought.

"You two still haven't figured your shit out, so I'll take a wager and guess you don't know what you're going to do."

Richard didn't speak.

"Look... I get that I give you grief, but even I have a heart."

Still no response. Isaac sighed and stood up. He removed his jacket, throwing it on the other bed. He held Richard's chin up and smiled down at him. Richard held his gaze as he sat on his lap.

"Does this cheer you up?"

"What do you want?" Richard said flatly. "You separated us already."

"So you do speak," Isaac said, annoyed. "I'm comforting you," Isaac said, mocking a hurt tone. "You look like you need it."

Richard didn't say much else, which annoyed Isaac. He put his mouth to Richard's collarbone. He kissed up to his neck and licked it.  
It was the oddest feeling at the moment: patience. He was sure that half of it was demanding the same affection Richard had always shown him,the other half of it was skipping all of that and succumbing to 100% unadulterated pleasure. How confusing, Isaac thought, he was pulling Richard's strings either way.

"Don't ignore me," was all he said, pouting. He chased Richard's eyes and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "I just want to play. Otherwise, I always find someone to play with. What do you think of Elie? Think he's interested?"

Richard let out a breath through his nose and wrapped his arms tighter around Isaac, leaning his head on his shoulder. Isaac played with Richard's wavy brown hair, ruffling it though it was the most wild it would be out of work-outs. Isaac's smile was pressed against Richard's neck, but Richard didn't seem to be in the mood for acknowledging whatever it was that he could be laughing about in this present moment.

"Or... we can sit like this," He muttered. Eventually, the amusement died as Isaac realized the predicament he found himself in. Now that Isaac wanted to play, Richard didn't seem to be interested in amusing the idea. If Richard was going to be moody, Isaac would rather wait until it was over--if he stayed that long. He could figure things out without Richard. He moved to leave, but Richard kept his hands wrapped around his waist.

Isaac could still taste the salt of Richard's sweat on his tounge, and his scent was strong this close. It was warm and he felt engulfed, but the safety didn't calm him down. It made him wary and cautious. Richard's eyes were a lovely shade of green. Moss green, Isaac called them. They contrasted nicely with his dark skin and whenever they darted around, he swore they disappeared. But then were back on them. Such a beautiful pair of eyes were the most sensitive to the sun. Isaac wondered if he was like the sun.

"That's enough," He said, but Richard didn't let him go. He was annoyed when Richard licked his neck in the same manner.

"You hadn't call me that in a while."

"What? Manny? I give everyone nicknames," He rolled his eyes. Richard didn't give him a response.

"Have you ever thought of killing me before?"

"Whoa--"

"Because you can."

Isaac was genuinely taken aback. The thought of killing someone, let alone, something was a foreign thought to him. At the end of a gun, he could distance himself as far from the person or thing at the and of the barrel. And he and Richard have had, as he would put it, a shit ton of disagreements that have made Isaac want to hurt Richard, but he has never considered killing him. He couldn't tell if Richard was serious or joking, but he realized that Richard was smiling at him. It wasn't malicious and it wasn't snarky. It was warm.

"Normally silence would be a bad sign--"

"I'd still break your arm. Or leg," Isaac said quickly, annoyed that he paused so long. Richard lifted his chin and continued to stare at him with that weird smile.

"Are you amused?"

"Thoroughly."

"So, I take that you feel better," Isaac muttered, placing his hand on Richard's to move it. It had snaked lower and he just now realized it. He dug his nails into Richard's skin, but they were blunt from damage anyway and Richard's glow seemed to distract him from the suggestion of Isaac's fingers.

"So, I've done my job and--no, no, no," Isaac moved Richard's face when he tried to come in for a kiss.

"I don't kiss guys with those... kinds of eyes."

"It's happened before."

"Exceptions happen." Isaac bit back.

"Habits are habits for a reason."

Isaac didn't like a confident Richard because a confident Richard like to play things his own way and Isaac didn't like being toyed with.

"Yeah, well, habits can be broken," Isaac frowned. "Let go."

This time, Richard let him out of his lap, though he held on loosely to Isaac's wrist.

"I'm starting to think that I should take you on your offer."

Richard seemed amused, but he didn't humor the idea. Again, Isaac felt irritated.

"You wanted to get information, right?" Richard began. Isaac shrugged. He didn't care anymore. Richard had wasted enough of his time.

"I'll let go, but I need you to listen."

Isaac flopped back onto his bed, hugging the soft sheets. He gripped them tighter and gritted his teeth, seething from the memory of his conversation with Richard. Richard had lied. He hadn't had any information to offer. Isaac made a mistake going to him. He threw a pillow and it landed on the ground with a soft thump. He turned around and lay still. He was flushed red from his bath and the bath robe he wore was a bit big for him, but it hugged his body in a heavenly way. He wanted to sleep as he lay there. He wasn't sure when Gabriel would get back, or if he was in the area since no one has come knocking yet. The thought of his brother was enough to get him out of the bed and search quickly for a change of clothes. He passed by a mirror attached to a closet door and stopped in his tracks, moving back to take a look at himself in it. There was nothing in particular that he was looking at. His skin was unmarred by anything else, but genetics. He closed his eyes and tried to think, to feel, to memorize the feel of Richard's hand on his back. If he thought hard enough, then maybe, he'd want that sensation to be warm and heavy and present for hours. So, he didn't think hard about it.

"Not even in another life..." He trailed off and glanced to the right. What was he looking for? He turned back around and walked to the bedroom. He looked at the landline on the desk between his bed and Gabriel's. He picked it up and dialed in a number.

Isaac didn't even have the chance to inhale and exhale before he heard someone pick up. No one spoke, initially. Isaac squinted because he was trying to visualize what he was hearing. There were swish like sounds which reminded Isaac of the wind when he left the car window open as it moved. Among the wind were rushed footsteps and muffled voices. He waited for silence, but it didn't come any time soon. The person holding the phone stopped running, but there were other footsteps in the distance. Isaac crossed his legs and waited.

"Wrong time to call."

"Didn't know we needed to schedule a call."

"W-whoa, what are you doing?"

"You've never seen a woman naked?" Alessa drawled. Her shuffling continued as the person with her stuttered, embarrassed.

"Hurry up and change," She said, annoyed. Isaac didn't know whether to be upset or proud of Alessa's teasing. Most of all, he was confused. There were more shuffling sounds as Alessa urged the other person into what might have been a room.

"Gabriel's away, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm guessing he isn't ready?"

"Right," Isaac sighed. Gabriel had it in him to see Alessa safe, but he didn't have the will. Alessa gave him the chance to seek a calm again and Isaac couldn't tell if he was angry or understanding of Gabriel's passivity. Alessa was on the same page as Isaac. Isaac ran his hands through his hair. This was why Alessa wanted to talk to him first.

He was worried that she was further out west than he was, but she was a state away south. She knew about the mass migration, the general manner as to how to kill the bodies, and loss of communication between the public and government. Most importantly, she knew that Richard wasn't reliable.

"Kenneth's been convincing Gabriel to stay put. But I'm not buying it. What reason do they have to stay here for who knows how long? They're more likely to leave and find answers."

"Did they say anything?"

"No. Richard and Kenneth have been acting like they've got something stuck up their asses. Kenneth was shot ad Richard blames him. You can't plan your next move when someone's become a liability."

"Especially if you need to do something—urgently," Alessa agreed, "Has he told you anything?"

"Nothing important."

"So, he's said something."  
"No."

"So... he's said something."

Isaac got over the strange lurch in his stomach. He suddenly felt as if he was gossiping, but it wasn't gossip. It wasn't drama. Not unless you make it, Isaac thought bitterly.

"He wants me to leave."

She laughed. "Why?"

"Says I'm more than capable of doing it," Isaac rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well anyone an take a car and be on their merry way."

"Maybe he's admitting you're better off with me."

"Maybe he's right."

Alessa hummed and left it at that. It wasn't a playful hum, but she also didn't sound pleased. "I miss you, Isaac."

Isaac looked up. He was staring at his nails and their sad state. He hadn't realized that Alessa was quiet for so long since he was too busy trying to understand his motives. He couldn't bring himself to smile. He missed their playful banter and her presence. It's taken so long for them to get here.

"Yeah, well, not for long... Alright. What do you have for me?"

"Get this: Fernando Alexander Soltra, former Head of Immunization Research; former Director of Intelligence Operations. Says here he's gotten an indictment for tampering with classified information regarding deceased agents and civilians. He was relegated, but the person's name's been crossed out," Alessa read out.

"When did this happen?"

"Processing was finished mid-January. He didn't meet the board. Otherwise we'd have documents for those meetings or blanks suggesting it."

"So, he was reprimanded and discharged for grave-robbing?" Isaac frowned. Grave-robbing of all things? The Dr. Soltra Isaac knew put up a classy, upstanding, and strict appearance. Gelled-back hair and diamond cufflink kind of man. Science for the betterment of humanity kind of researcher. He wasn't lawless, but Isaac wouldn't put it behind him to bend a few rules. This was the first of lows Isaac heard of.

"That's what I thought, but how would it take less than a month to remove this guy of this status from his high horse," Alessa said as more papers shuffled in the background, "And then I found this gem: his trail's been cold since December."

Alessa laughed. "Daddy's in trouble."

Any fatigue and warmth he had been feeling flushed away. Isaac suddenly felt a rush of paranoia sweep over him. This is what Richard wasn't telling him?

"I think lover boy wants you--well, us--to help him out. That's cute."

"Alessa, this is not funny. Where the hell did you get this information? Where are you?"

"Far away from the guys who had this on them. Calm down. I figured that when the agency tried to kill my ass, that I'd need to dig up some demon and I've found them. Z, as far as the world knows, I'm as good as dead. I've burned my bridges."

"Then why was that trap set up in your house?"

"I don't think that it was a set up for me," She explained, "Mom was a target and I'm sure Ashton was too. Isaac, your parents never left the home."

There was a knock on the door, which made Isaac jump. He'd lost his train of thought and reflexively turned to the door, which, to his horror, was being unlocked. He couldn't see it. The kitchen was immediately visible from his spot in the bedroom. It was a blindspot. The door became the least of his worries when Alessa said the next few words.

"My guess: They're after anyone with a connection to you. If they aren't dead already."

To Gabriel, he'd walked in his brother shouting at someone at one of the local restaurants that were on their last life line since corporate operations were on hold as well. They were arguing about whether or not it was still worth giving five dollars for something that technically didn't have value at this point when Gabriel sat besides him. Isaac looked at him and handed him the phone, frowning.

"Hello?"

"H-hello? Are you going to yell at me too?"

Gabriel laughed and excused Isaac's attitude. He asked to be caught up to speed with the ridiculous situation and they found themselves in.

"He said he'd give you the phone number and address of a shipping house if you'd stop bitching."

"I-I didn't say that!" The poor employee screamed over the receiver. Isaac rolled his eyes and asked for pen and paper, which Gabriel quickly got up and fetched.

"What is it?" Isaac asked, writing down the address and phone number. He stared at them for a moment, before placing the phone down.

"Thanks. I lost my appetite." Isaac rolled his eye and put the phone back in its cradle. His hand shook a little, but he waited for that to get under control, pretending to read the details, before he turned to Gabriel and smiled.

"You're seriously going to go there?

"Yeah, we are going to go there. We might find actual gold."

"Or rotten vegetables."

"Well, we weren't fated to cross paths with a twinkie truck," He said with an air of exaggeration. "So, rotten veggies might be better than nothing. Who knows? We might feed a raccoon or two and add them to this great family... assemble... thing."

"... Right..." Gabriel watched Isaac get up and walk away. Isaac looked behind him and stared at raised an eyebrow. "You're not happy about this."

"I..." Isaac put the paper in his pocket and glanced at Gabriel who stared at him for a moment. He sighed and picked up his coat. "I am not complaining. Are you feeling up to take a walk outside?"

Gabriel decidedly followed Isaac outside. He appreciated that Elie found a coat for them because the nights here were colder than at home, but it was bearable. Gabriel wasn't sure where it was that Isaac was taking him, but Henry was no longer at the receptionist desk.

"Help me look for a flashlight. They keep those for emergencies, right?"

"Where are we going?"

"To see Elie and the gang. There are probably fun things to do here besides look at trees," Isaac said, standing up from behind the receptionist desk. Gabriel walked down the hall and around a corner. He found a janitor's closet where Isaac followed suit. Isaac climbed on Gabriel's back and check out the higher shelves while Gabriel, limited in movement felt around for a flashlight-shaped object. Isaac looked down at him and smiled. When he hopped off, he squeezed Gabriel's shoulder and apologized endearingly in Korean.

Gabriel shrugged and closed the door as they started to make their way outside. Darkness came a lot sooner than it would have in their home state too. But, the flashlight wasn't necessary at the moment. They walked closely together and spoke in hushed voices as they made their way down the roads. Isaac was both surprised and not surprised that they had something to talk about, It was almost like when they planned to go to parties back on campus, talking animatedly as they passed other students across the cobblestoned grounds. Isaac would be on his right and Ashton would be on his left and they would all joke around. Isaac looked at Gabriel and smiled as he talked about how Dr. Mott disciplined him.

"I guess anyone who's seen you in diapers holds that--"

Isaac screamed as someone scooped him up from the ground. He covered his mouth and muffled his screams. Gabriel quickly realized that Isaac was just laughing. Someone was tickling him. He picked up the flashlight and flashed it at where Isaac was picked up and was surprised to see that Isaac had knocked them over and brought their arm behind their back.

"You seem to take life for granted," Isaac hissed.

"Hey, you came out here looking for adventure! Shit-- your grip. Sorry?"

Isaac sat up and crossed his arms as Elie sat up and dusted himself off. Suddenly, a bunch of other flashlights lit up around them. Isaac glanced at Gabriel apologetically as everyone stared at them in awe, if not fear.

"Sorry," Isaac muttered, helping Elie up.

"Whoa, self-defense lessons teach you that?"

"No--" Isaac started.

Gabriel cut in before he could make any snarky comments."Our parents took us to martial arts classes. Pretty effective."

"...I'll say."

Isaac turned around and realized that they'd reached another hotel closer to the entrance. He took the flashlight from Gabriel and waved it, pointing to the group.

"This is?"

"Adventure. Kind of. We were hanging out, but the lights had cut off."

"Cut off?"

"Yeah, they've been doing that for a while, but since our towns a bit more remote, we've been relying on generators when that happens. So, they should be going up in about--"

Elie held up three fingers and when his last one went down, the streets lit up again. Everyone around them cheered, but Isaac was so lost in thought that their voices were drowned out. This would be helpful. He just didn't know for what yet. If Richard really did want him to make a disappearing act, he'd need to make a commotion. He would need that generator. Isaac hadn't even realized that they were surrounded by darkness until ever source of light went back up. It was eerie, but oddly mesmerizing, the way the streets glowed against a dark sky. The stars were much more visible here as well.

"Thanks Jay!" Elie said, speaking into a handheld transceiver. Isaac looked at Gabriel.

"See, fun?" Isaac smiled at Gabriel and nudged him. Gabriel shrugged and glanced away, then back at him. Isaac turned around and looked at Elie.

"So, what else do you all do for fun?" He said, excitedly. Elie lead them around and introduced them to a few of his friends. Lory was this girl with huge swept over bangs, still in high school, since she seemed to be stuck in a defiant phase where black seemed cool. Nathan was the same age as Elie, a year older than Gabriel and he, and seemed to have a pep in his step. He seemed to get along with everyone. Jay was also a high schooler and if anyone looked like they would geek out over the inner-mechanics of a car, it was Jay. He had these adorable denim overalls with patches all over his right breast area and goggles hanging over his collarbones, When he'd come to greet them, Isaac was surprised by how soft-spoken he was, though he was taller than all of them.

Isaac looked back at Gabriel and felt tempted to hold his hand, but decided against it. Isaac was more convinced that this new life wouldn't be his and that these people were temporary. Eventually, he would meet with Alessa. So, he would need Gabriel to know all of these people because he couldn't.

Isaac didn't know what Richard was up to since he asked him to prepare to leave. Now that Kenneth was forced to stay in the hospital to avoid other incidents like the one he and Richard had pulled, Isaac now had the room to himself as Gabriel and Richard moved into the same room. Gabriel, however, didn't let Isaac slide from this.  
"You're going to the hospital."

"The hospital isn't my room."

"It's where your roommate is at, isn't it?"

Isaac sighed as he borrowed one of the cars and drove towards the hospital. The road was empty and it stretched onwards from what Isaac could see in his car. He gripped the wheel and inched closer and closer to nowhere. He couldn't leave now, but he knew that he could and there would be nothing to hold him back. But there was nothing out there waiting for him. He switched lanes and drove up the ramp where a new road and new snow covered trees awaited his service and admiration. The drive into the parking lot of the hospital was slow and his movements to take the key out of its place was slow, but he quickly walked into the hospital.

It didn't take him long to see Dr. Mott. He was surrounded by other staff, who were discussing something around the receptionist desk.

"Dr. Mott?" Isaac asked.

Dr. Mott turned around and smiled wearily as he excused himself and walked towards Isaac, ushering him towards a flight of stairs. Isaac explained what it was that he was doing in the hospital. Dr. Mott was amused, if Isaac couldn't tell from his laugh. His smile reached his blue eyes and Isaac realized that he had dimples in that stubble of his. He was also tired.

"What's going on?"

"There's been a problem with power outages, but I wouldn't call these by chance. They've happened periodically. We've had someone stationed at the generators, but for patients caught in that stillness, we can't do much if something fails. It happens all too fast."

"It isn't connected to the generators in town, right?"

"No."

"So, you take anyone that comes in?"

"There's no reason for us not to."

Dr. Mott opened the door to the third floor and moved so that Isaac could walk into the hallway. This floor looked the same as any other. It was just as sterile and blindingly white with bland chairs that were connected to each other outside of rooms. They made their way to a room across the room to the hall and just as they made it inside, Kenneth looked at the door. He was sitting cross-legged, the sheets bunched up at the end of the bed. Kenneth didn't say much and looked back outside.

"Well, hello to you too." Isaac said, pulling out a chair. He waved goodbye to Dr. Mott who warned him not to wander the halls. Isaac turned back around to Kenneth. They didn't say anything for a while and instead choose to hold a preferred silence.

"What's going on between you and Richard?"

"... a disagreement."

Isaac held in a rude reply. Instead, he continued where he was left off. "You know what? I have a bone to pick with you. I need Gabe willing to walk with me and right now, I don't know if that's going to happen."

Kenneth looked him in the eyes this time and Isaac sat straight, his arms crossed.

"He was right," Kenneth looked at his hands, which lay at his lap and flexed his fingers as if suddenly remembering that they existed. "I don't know what you two went through at WP or before it, but Gabriel seems to be happy with anything he's got," Kenneth said quietly.

"I don't blame him," Isaac pursed his lips. "But he doesn't settle, Kenneth. He just doesn't want to live not knowing whether or not he'll be living a normal life or enlisted the next. I'm not as wistful."

"So you force your schemes on to him. Because you think it's the best for him."

Isaac opened his mouth to speak again, but Kenneth cut in again.

"I've never pretended to know your experience. But I've lived what you fear to. What he fears to live through. If he wants to stay, I see no problem with it. It's your choice to leave. Not his."

Isaac wanted it to be with malice, but he stared at Kenneth for a moment. He wasn't some mindless puppet. For one, he was crazy, that was for sure, because someone with that kind of confidence was asking for Isaac's fury. And Kenneth was trill nothing more than a stranger to him. Kenneth really did have his own agendas and when they clashed with Richard's it was more than obvious that they were separate bodies. Two different people. Isaac wanted to throw out another insult, but this wasn't a catfight with Stacy Black. It was a conversation. It was a confrontation. It was a realization for Isaac, that Richard and Kenneth had two different expectations of them. Kenneth didn't care about Gabriel's skills and his merits if Gabriel didn't care about them either. What a waste, Isaac thought.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you have a crush on him," Isaac shrugged. "Or it could be 'good intentions.' But, let's humor the former thought. Yeah... that's right... According to your logic, he's into normal people. You know—people who actually flinch at the sight of a dead body, people who look for boring entry-level jobs, not ex-cons, people who don't go looking for bullets to catch. Actually, I'm sure it's a bonus if you're the hero-type. You know, like saving a car from a tree."

Isaac stared blatantly at Kenneth's exposed arms. "I mean, unless all of those are from a pretty nasty paper cut. Or two."

Kenneth looked at him with a blank look. Isaac sighed.

"Don't stare at me. Let me be bitter," He sat up and started pacing the room. "I mean he called you 'Library Guy' and God dammit it was fucking cute. What did it matter? It was a phase. It was a nobody..." Isaac trailed off and shook his head.

"But, honestly, I could care less if you're going out of your way to keep him safe. Why would I have a problem with that? It's why you want to get close which bothers me."

"Then, you're worrying about the wrong things," Kenneth said flatly. It deflated the situation more than Isaac wanted it to. There were worse things Kenneth could have said that ran through Isaac's head and Kenneth went for the option he didn't think of. This conversation was over. Isaac balled his hands into fists and turned around, making his way towards the door.

"I'm going to look for Ansley."

Kenneth didn't stop him and Isaac wouldn't have stopped if he tried. He wanted to be angry, but the more time ticked by, he realized that Gabriel wasn't getting any closer to him and the idea of leaving. As much as he hated the idea, Richard would still be here. And Kenneth, he thought. Kenneth would still be here. Could he really complain?

When he found the children's wing, he couldn't bring himself to walk into the playroom. Ansley sat on the floor playing with other kids in a hospital gown. Her smile was small as she showed another girl a doll she held. Her back was turned to him, but the girl in front of her waved at Isaac and he waved back, weakly. It caught Ansley's attention, but before she could see him, he quickly made his way down the nearest stairs. He found himself back on the first floor, heading towards the waiting area. He sighed when he noticed that he had taken a different flight of stairs. He would need to walk past the waiting area because he couldn't trust taking the elevators if a power outage really did recently happen. He was turning a corner someone bumped into him from behind. He turned around and stared at the woman who glared at him with utter disdain in her eyes. He blinked and moved back, but when she leaned over towards him, he realized that she was clutching her sides. She was bleeding out and in pain. When she collapsed, nurses were already at her side and helping her onto a stretcher. Isaac watched them disappear behind double doors as they made their way to surgery. Isaac sat there and gathered his thoughts. Was this Dr. Soltra's fault? Or was it the person who meddled with research? He looked back when someone stood in front of him.

"Where is that blood from?"

"A patient," Isaac pointed to his left, "who went into surgery."

"So she saw you," Dr. Mott sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"She seemed pretty out of it."

Dr. Mott didn't say anything and instead lead him into the bathroom to wash up. Isaac took his time washing to blood off, if not to stall the time it would take him to get back to Kenneth's room.

"She was one of the first agents to leave. Her family came to my house when they realized she had gone. A few years older than you."

"How did she get back?" Isaac said as they made their way into the elevator. He looked around then at Dr. Mott who pressed the button for Kenneth's floor.

"We found her crawling out of a car. Whoever must have driven her here is gone. I've asked a couple of friends to keep a lookout. I don't know how she could have ended up like that."

They reached the third floor and walked the distance from the elevator to Kenneth's room.

"When I say stay here, I mean it this time."

Isaac didn't say anything nor did he acknowledge Kenneth this time. He left Kenneth to his thoughts and he sorted his own. Dr. Mott handed Kenneth a handful of candy that spread across his lap Isaac reclined and thought that if Kenneth gave in and took a smoke, he wouldn't blame him. He would join him.

"Kenneth," Isaac said, staring at his hands, "Make sure I'm worried about the wrong things."


	12. Don't Get Comfortable

Isaac wasn’t actually restrained to Kenneth’s bedside, though he understood that Gabriel wanted them to bond. Isaac couldn’t find it in him to entertain the idea anymore by the time Dr. Mott escorted him back to the villas. Dr. Mott realized it was safest to have them separated than all together and Isaac probably puts himself at risk by having a run-in with that woman. Whatever it was that Dr. Mott was actually concerned about, it leads to the conclusion that Isaac couldn’t idle around places he had no reason being at. If Isaac had any hopes of leaving, he needed to plan outside of the hospital.

Isaac wasn’t actually restrained to Kenneth’s bedside, though he understood that Gabriel wanted them to bond. Isaac couldn’t find it in him to entertain the idea anymore by the time Dr. Mott escorted him back to the villas. Dr. Mott realized it was safest to have them separated than all together and Isaac probably puts himself at risk by having a run-in with that woman. Whatever it was that Dr. Mott was actually concerned about, it leads to the conclusion that Isaac couldn’t idle around places he had no reason being at. If Isaac had any hopes of leaving, he needed to plan outside of the hospital.

He followed Dr. Mott out of the car. As soon as he stood up, Isaac stood before the group staring at the car as it came in. Elie and his friends approached him with a man he’s never seen before. Dr. Mott and greeted him. He stared at Isaac quietly.

“You’re the one who was seen?”

“The one and only,” Isaac said dryly, though Jeremy didn’t seem to find it amusing. He had a feeling that this guy didn’t seem fond of him. Isaac took a look at him and then at Elie, sensing something odd. He could see the immediate resemblance between him and Elie, but Elie stood a few inches taller and smiled significantly more. He even spared Isaac a glance.

“This is Jeremy,” Dr. Mott introduced. “He worked a few security jobs in his days so he is in charge of surveillance around the area. It seems like the car speeded past them and escaped.”

“We weren’t expecting something like that to happen,” Elie jumped into Jeremy’s defense.

“Rightfully so,” Dr. Mott said.

“Sorry?” Isaac said. He stood with his arms crossed.

“We’re not blaming you. We just need to be more alert,” Dr. Mott paused when Jeremy ushered him aside.

“Your dad?” Isaac referred to Jeremy and Elie nodded.

“Oh, cool. I thought parents disappeared when the outbreak happened,” Isaac joked dryly, He thought of his adoptive parents and felt a heavy wave of shame wash over himself. Yeah, too soon.

“Eleanor is Dr. Mott’s little girl,” Elie teased. “He wishes she’d help him at the hospital.”

“If it was fun…” Lory said, embarrassed. She rolled her eyes and turned around. “I’m fine helping with surveillance.” She caught Isaac staring at her and he noticed that she has gotten his eyes as well. He looked away, but that seemed to pique her interest. He chooses to change the topic.

“Why would you need surveillance here? I mean, before we came,” he said loudly, attracting Dr. Mott and Jeremy’s attention.

“Most everyone else is at the residential part of town. Since this is more of a tourist attraction, we try to use the space to keep patients here,” Jeremy explained.

Isaac nodded slowly, trying to take as many notes of everything as he could. His memory was just as average as anyone else’s, but he couldn’t rely on Gabriel right now. None of this information was useful. If they were running rounds, where were they? Dr. Mott pulled Jeremy aside and they exchanged a few words. Jeremy walked over to Elie and told him something.

Elie turned to Isaac, his smile as persistent as ever as he walked towards Isaac. Dr. Mott and Jeremy ended up getting into the car and drove back to the hospital. Isaac wondered when they would have to get gas again and where.

“Mind a tour around the area?”

“That would be nice, but I think that I should look for my brother and Richard.”

“The guy who asked for directions?”

“Yeah,” Isaac replied.

“He left a while ago. Kind of an unapproachable guy.”

“He’s super hot though,” A girl next to Lory said. “Right Lory? He just needs someone to warm him up.”

Isaac shifted his weight, “If you’re for it.”

The girl suddenly seemed excited, tempting Isaac to say something unpleasant. But before he could entertain her newfound hopes, Lory apologized and dragged her friend somewhere else.

“I kind of need to do that disappearing act.”

“Right, well, if you want that tour, feel free to ask,” Elie handed him two handheld transceivers. “You know how to work HTs?”

“You mean walkie-talkies? Yes.” No. But he was obviously competent enough to figure it out.

“That one is for your buddy. I’d give it to him myself, but he doesn’t seem to keen on a conversation,” Elie paused. “We’ll be meeting at the golf course for a bonfire since none of us are on duty right now because something happened at the hospital… Actually, Dad told me to watch out for you. I’ll figure--”

“I’m sure he meant for a few hours. I need to see Kenneth too anyway. It won’t be much trouble for me.”

Elie nodded. “Sure…”

Isaac had a feeling that Elie didn’t know what was going on. Even if he was helping with surveillance, if his father was anything like Dr. Mott, he wouldn’t give Elie too many details into something he wasn’t involved with. Isaac smiled.

“You can bring your brother.”

“Duly noted,” Isaac saluted and turned around, sauntering back to the villas. He wasn’t surprised to see that Henry wasn’t at the desk. He even dare put up an “unavailable at the moment” card. As Isaac made his way down the hall, he found Gabriel staring into space, sitting with his legs crossed outside of the room Isaac technically had all to himself for the moment.

“Did Richard cut your playdate short?”

Gabriel looked up at him.

“Dr. Mott told us what happened over the HTs.”

Isaac frowned.

“No, Gabe, no. You are not about to worry about something that will be nothing. Look, Elie said that everyone’s heading out to the golf course for a little bonfire. I want you to go and have fun.”

“Why aren’t you coming?”

“I forgot to tell… Kenneth goodnight.”

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“You called him Kenneth.”

“We had a decent chat and… I guess I’ve decided that he’s an asshole, but he’s a respectable asshole. Don’t quote me.”

Isaac put his hand on Gabriel’s and lowered it. Gabriel suggested that he would call Isaac out on his lies with the click of a button and Isaac rolled his eyes. There was nothing Gabriel had to suspect. Whatever time they had to kill until then was spent lounging in Isaac’s room. Eventually, he opened the door and held his hand out, gesturing for Gabriel to lead the way downstairs.

“Did you put the flashlight back?”

“Under the security cameras.”

Isaac leaned over the front desk and took the flashlight. They didn’t actually walk to the golf course since it was far. That was a sure way of getting lost, so Isaac leads them back to the motel and lo-and-behold, everyone was chatting outside. Isaac walked up to Elie.

“We were just waiting for you two.”

“I still have to do that favor,” Isaac said, holding up the handheld transceiver. Elie offered to drive, but Isaac shook his head. “I’ll meet up with you all in a few.”

Gabriel didn’t have the chance to spare him a glance. Lory immediately clung on to Gabriel and Isaac waved at them as everyone walked away. He quickly realized that he’d have no way of knowing where the courts were. It was tempting to run after them, but when he lifted the device, he laughed at himself. He turned around and stared at the motel, putting his flashlight on. He wasn’t sure how he would go about doing it, but if there were cameras, he would have to find another way out and form an alibi in that time.

No sweat.

Richard stared at the women, now in stable condition. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was pale from blood loss. The four other men in the room with him were probably having the same thoughts as he was, but the elephant in the room was: why was she here? He looked at the flash drive they managed to recover from her discarded clothes inquisitively.

“We aren’t changing rotations and lookouts. If they are after you all, then we can’t let them know that we’ve been tipped off.”

“Asking for peace and quiet with you around was too much to ask for,” Dr. Mott said, running his hand through his hair. Just then, a loud knocking was heard at the door and someone let themselves in. Dr. Mott’s wife was taken aback for a moment and frowned as she tried to figure out why all these people have gathered around one of the patients.

“I figured I had a reason to be suspicious. What is this?”

“Jen, let’s talk outside for a moment,” Jeremy said, ushering her outside.

“Richard, I don’t think that I have to say this. But the longer you stay here, you won’t be getting closer to information about your father. Either way, you will be in danger, moving or camping. What’s your next move?”

Richard was about to speak when he heard a cackle and a click as Gabriel over everyone’s transceiver. Dr. Mott sighed in annoyance.

“Shit,” Isaac hissed. His device spurred to life as he made his way up a pair of steps. It was louder than he expected in the quiet of the basement. He looked up towards the ceiling as if it would help him hear the sounds of any occupants upstairs. When everything remained still and silent, he looked for the volume and lowered it. He expected the generator to be in the basement, but he shrugged it off and quickly searched for the next room that might have one. He quickly found himself in the boiler room and flicked his flashlight on again.

“Isaac?”

“That’s me.”

“Where are you?”

“I was looking for snacks. No worries, Elie’s on the way.”

Elie wasn’t on his way, but if he heard the message, he would be now and Isaac swore to the heavens that Elie knew better and would catch on. Isaac licked his teeth, worried about how easily lies seeped through them to avoid rousing Gabriel’s suspicions. Isaac kept his voice sweet and calm as his light swept over the room. He quickly located the generator and sighed in relief. He inspected it and tried to figure out how to turn it off. He wasn’t sure, but assuming that this generator put the lights on, he also assumed that they could put the lights off. He stood up straight and looked behind himself, directing the flashlight back to the door. He hadn’t seen anything move, but the fear factor of this place had risen considerably. The shuffle of his clothes seemed distant and unfamiliar. It was as if his brain was trying to trick him into believing that someone else was around. He walked towards the door and picked up his pace as he made his way back down to the basement. He made his way through a crawlspace and dusted himself off.

“You are definitely not a raccoon.”

Isaac felt his heart jump up in an unhealthy fashion as Elie looked at him from his squatted position near the crawlspace. Isaac was ready to attack him when Elie sat up and held his hands up in defense. He picked up Isaac’s flashlight and shone it out of their eyesight.

“What. The. Hell?”

“I should be asking you that. Didn’t even know there was a crawl space here.”

“My luck then.”

“I didn’t see a car in the road--you know, I thought your group was weird, but you guys know more than you let on.”

“And you don’t?”

“I mean, I thought all that stuff about spies were just in movies.”

“Those kinds of spies don’t exist.” Life would be so much more fun if life really was that extreme, but here he was, trying to stealth his way out of here. If Isaac could go out with an explosion, he would.

“My dad didn’t tell me you were told to stay away from the hospital. I wouldn’t have given you the HT if it was serious. At least, I didn’t think it was serious.”

“It isn’t.”

Elie stared at him with curious eyes. “Do you happen to know anything about... children being moved from town to town? Groups of kids.”

Isaac didn’t reply and Elie laughed nervously, expecting as much. He was more abrupt than he meant to be. “This town was a refuge for children with complicated pasts. I mean, that’s how my dad explained it. We never really saw those kids unless they were eating breakfast or sleeping at night. My dad handled... all of that.”

“Who does your dad work for?”

“He’s just an officer now,” Elie shook his head. “He was. He hasn’t done that in years, but I thought that it was all a… false memory. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was real. Those kids are real.”

Isaac wasn’t one of those kids. There were tons of them and if anyone would have remembered this area, it would have been Gabriel. Gabriel hasn’t said anything yet. Isaac relaxed a bit and looked around. He glanced back at Elie who seemed to have a worried expression. “Are you one of those--”

“There are millions, billions of kids who are being rotated through systems in this country. I doubt it,” He replied lightly.

“Well, that means that there’s something going on that ordinary people wouldn’t know,” Elie pointed out.

“So, what? You needed confirmation?”

“Or you just like sneaking around places for fun.”

“I like the latter, Elie. I think you should stick to that story too.”

“...Are you in danger?”

“Who isn’t right now? Have you seen those zombies?”

The look on Elie’s face told Isaac that no, he hasn’t. There really wasn’t a need for anyone to leave this town since they have resources for weeks. Isaac took the flashlight, which Elie had taken up, and gestured to turn around.

“Wait, I can help. But I need you to explain what’s going on.”

“Things get difficult when someone decides to play nice, Elie,” Isaac sighed. “You didn’t see me.”

Elie didn’t let Isaac walk away. Instead, he turned Isaac around, held onto Isaac’s shoulders and stared at him. “I’m not lying.”

“Don’t do that,” Isaac said.

“What?”

“Stoop to my level.”

“Figuratively?”

“No, literally,” Isaac pushed Elie’s chin up with the palm of his hand. He turned around and started walking around the motel. He didn’t wait to see if Elie was walking behind him, but he could hear another set of footsteps on gravel.

“When someone turns their back to you, you don’t take that for granted,” Isaac said when he was sure that Elie was following him. “It’s something they’d teach us if you were bright enough to get it the first time. Or, you learned the hard way.”

“During that... program?” Elie said almost in awe.

“No, during arts and crafts. You never knew which bitch was going to take your crayons without you looking. Did you even go to a grade school?”

Elie didn’t say anything, which was good, because that was as far as Isaac was going to go to humor his suspicions. If Elie wasn’t brimming with questions, then he was probably trying too hard to seem cool. Isaac didn’t see a reason to tell Elie anything. He would just become another bridge to burn before he became a liability. Isaac closed his eyes and nodded his head. If worse came to worse, all he could do was rely on Richard and Kenneth to keep Gabriel out of harm's way. They neared the entrance and walked a little way down the road until the car Isaac borrowed came into view. He unlocked the car and checked the gas.

“Isaac, I might not know what’s going on, but I want to help.”

Isaac placed his hand on the roof of the car. “Elie, you’re a sweet guy. Kind of cheesy. But, there’s a reason why certain people know more and others know less. Right now, we’re pretty much in the same waters and I’m trying to get out of them because I know how to. Kind of. You do not want to know what’s out there, but I do and that why I can’t sit here and be idle. That won’t happen if we play 101 questions.

I’m going to need help making a distraction. If that’ll make you feel like a hero, then, do your thing. But, the last time someone tried to play hero, they got shot.”

Isaac highly doubted that Elie would get shot at in this situation, or anyone in that regard, but he didn’t know why that agent came back bloodied and mysteriously. Isaac threw Elie the keys and walked to the shotgun seat. He sat down and waited. Isaac realized that if Elie really had grown up outside of the agency’s antics, then he was really just a normal guy with an overbearing and blind sense of justice. Isaac looked at Elie as he sat in the car. Isaac drummed his fingers on his leg, sparing Elie a glance.

“We have… a few things we need to do,” Isaac said.

“... what about the bonfire?”

“One step at a time, Elie. I’m just trying to think of which is the first one…” He trailed off. Isaac glanced outside of the window for a moment. That was when a thought occurred to him. He turned around to Elie with the biggest grin on his face.

“Got it. Where’s the nearest gas station?” 

He followed Dr. Mott out of the car. As soon as he stood up, Isaac stood before the group staring at the car as it came in. Elie and his friends approached him with a man he’s never seen before. Dr. Mott and greeted him. He stared at Isaac quietly.

“You’re the one who was seen?”

“The one and only,” Isaac said dryly, though Jeremy didn’t seem to find it amusing. He had a feeling that this guy didn’t seem fond of him. Isaac took a look at him and then at Elie, sensing something odd. He could see the immediate resemblance between him and Elie, but Elie stood a few inches taller and smiled significantly more. He even spared Isaac a glance.

“This is Jeremy,” Dr. Mott introduced. “He worked a few security jobs in his days so he is in charge of surveillance around the area. It seems like the car speeded past them and escaped.”

“We weren’t expecting something like that to happen,” Elie jumped into Jeremy’s defense.

“Rightfully so,” Dr. Mott said.

“Sorry?” Isaac said. He stood with his arms crossed.

“We’re not blaming you. We just need to be more alert,” Dr. Mott paused when Jeremy ushered him aside.

“Your dad?” Isaac referred to Jeremy and Elie nodded.

“Oh, cool. I thought parents disappeared when the outbreak happened,” Isaac joked dryly, He thought of his adoptive parents and felt a heavy wave of shame wash over himself. Yeah, too soon.

“Eleanor is Dr. Mott’s little girl,” Elie teased. “He wishes she’d help him at the hospital.”

“If it was fun…” Lory said, embarrassed. She rolled her eyes and turned around. “I’m fine helping with surveillance.” She caught Isaac staring at her and he noticed that she has gotten his eyes as well. He looked away, but that seemed to pique her interest. He chooses to change the topic.

“Why would you need surveillance here? I mean, before we came,” he said loudly, attracting Dr. Mott and Jeremy’s attention.

“Most everyone else is at the residential part of town. Since this is more of a tourist attraction, we try to use the space to keep patients here,” Jeremy explained.

Isaac nodded slowly, trying to take as many notes of everything as he could. His memory was just as average as anyone else’s, but he couldn’t rely on Gabriel right now. None of this information was useful. If they were running rounds, where were they? Dr. Mott pulled Jeremy aside and they exchanged a few words. Jeremy walked over to Elie and told him something.

Elie turned to Isaac, his smile as persistent as ever as he walked towards Isaac. Dr. Mott and Jeremy ended up getting into the car and drove back to the hospital. Isaac wondered when they would have to get gas again and where.

“Mind a tour around the area?”

“That would be nice, but I think that I should look for my brother and Richard.”

“The guy who asked for directions?”

“Yeah,” Isaac replied.

“He left a while ago. Kind of an unapproachable guy.”

“He’s super hot though,” A girl next to Lory said. “Right Lory? He just needs someone to warm him up.”

Isaac shifted his weight, “If you’re for it.”

The girl suddenly seemed excited, tempting Isaac to say something unpleasant. But before he could entertain her newfound hopes, Lory apologized and dragged her friend somewhere else.

“I kind of need to do that disappearing act.”

“Right, well, if you want that tour, feel free to ask,” Elie handed him two handheld transceivers. “You know how to work HTs?”

“You mean walkie-talkies? Yes.” No. But he was obviously competent enough to figure it out.

“That one is for your buddy. I’d give it to him myself, but he doesn’t seem to keen on a conversation,” Elie paused. “We’ll be meeting at the golf course for a bonfire since none of us are on duty right now because something happened at the hospital… Actually, Dad told me to watch out for you. I’ll figure--”

“I’m sure he meant for a few hours. I need to see Kenneth too anyway. It won’t be much trouble for me.”

Elie nodded. “Sure…”

Isaac had a feeling that Elie didn’t know what was going on. Even if he was helping with surveillance, if his father was anything like Dr. Mott, he wouldn’t give Elie too many details into something he wasn’t involved with. Isaac smiled.

“You can bring your brother.”

“Duly noted,” Isaac saluted and turned around, sauntering back to the villas. He wasn’t surprised to see that Henry wasn’t at the desk. He even dare put up an “unavailable at the moment” card. As Isaac made his way down the hall, he found Gabriel staring into space, sitting with his legs crossed outside of the room Isaac technically had all to himself for the moment.

“Did Richard cut your playdate short?”

Gabriel looked up at him.

“Dr. Mott told us what happened over the HTs.”

Isaac frowned.

“No, Gabe, no. You are not about to worry about something that will be nothing. Look, Elie said that everyone’s heading out to the golf course for a little bonfire. I want you to go and have fun.”

“Why aren’t you coming?”

“I forgot to tell… Kenneth goodnight.”

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“You called him Kenneth.”

“We had a decent chat and… I guess I’ve decided that he’s an asshole, but he’s a respectable asshole. Don’t quote me.”

Isaac put his hand on Gabriel’s and lowered it. Gabriel suggested that he would call Isaac out on his lies with the click of a button and Isaac rolled his eyes. There was nothing Gabriel had to suspect. Whatever time they had to kill until then was spent lounging in Isaac’s room. Eventually, he opened the door and held his hand out, gesturing for Gabriel to lead the way downstairs.

“Did you put the flashlight back?”

“Under the security cameras.”

Isaac leaned over the front desk and took the flashlight. They didn’t actually walk to the golf course since it was far. That was a sure way of getting lost, so Isaac leads them back to the motel and lo-and-behold, everyone was chatting outside. Isaac walked up to Elie.

“We were just waiting for you two.”

“I still have to do that favor,” Isaac said, holding up the handheld transceiver. Elie offered to drive, but Isaac shook his head. “I’ll meet up with you all in a few.”

Gabriel didn’t have the chance to spare him a glance. Lory immediately clung on to Gabriel and Isaac waved at them as everyone walked away. He quickly realized that he’d have no way of knowing where the courts were. It was tempting to run after them, but when he lifted the device, he laughed at himself. He turned around and stared at the motel, putting his flashlight on. He wasn’t sure how he would go about doing it, but if there were cameras, he would have to find another way out and form an alibi in that time.

No sweat.

 

Richard stared at the women, now in stable condition. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was pale from blood loss. The four other men in the room with him were probably having the same thoughts as he was, but the elephant in the room was: why was she here? He looked at the flash drive they managed to recover from her discarded clothes inquisitively.

“We aren’t changing rotations and lookouts. If they are after you all, then we can’t let them know that we’ve been tipped off.”

“Asking for peace and quiet with you around was too much to ask for,” Dr. Mott said, running his hand through his hair. Just then, a loud knocking was heard at the door and someone let themselves in. Dr. Mott’s wife was taken aback for a moment and frowned as she tried to figure out why all these people have gathered around one of the patients.

“I figured I had a reason to be suspicious. What is this?”

“Jen, let’s talk outside for a moment,” Jeremy said, ushering her outside.

“Richard, I don’t think that I have to say this. But the longer you stay here, you won’t be getting closer to information about your father. Either way, you will be in danger, moving or camping. What’s your next move?”

Richard was about to speak when he heard a cackle and a click as Gabriel over everyone’s transceiver. Dr. Mott sighed in annoyance.

“Shit,” Isaac hissed. His device spurred to life as he made his way up a pair of steps. It was louder than he expected in the quiet of the basement. He looked up towards the ceiling as if it would help him hear the sounds of any occupants upstairs. When everything remained still and silent, he looked for the volume and lowered it. He expected the generator to be in the basement, but he shrugged it off and quickly searched for the next room that might have one. He quickly found himself in the boiler room and flicked his flashlight on again.

“Isaac?”

“That’s me.”

“Where are you?”

“I was looking for snacks. No worries, Elie’s on the way.”

Elie wasn’t on his way, but if he heard the message, he would be now and Isaac swore to the heavens that Elie knew better and would catch on. Isaac licked his teeth, worried about how easily lies seeped through them to avoid rousing Gabriel’s suspicions. Isaac kept his voice sweet and calm as his light swept over the room. He quickly located the generator and sighed in relief. He inspected it and tried to figure out how to turn it off. He wasn’t sure, but assuming that this generator put the lights on, he also assumed that they could put the lights off. He stood up straight and looked behind himself, directing the flashlight back to the door. He hadn’t seen anything move, but the fear factor of this place had risen considerably. The shuffle of his clothes seemed distant and unfamiliar. It was as if his brain was trying to trick him into believing that someone else was around. He walked towards the door and picked up his pace as he made his way back down to the basement. He made his way through a crawlspace and dusted himself off.

“You are definitely not a raccoon.”

Isaac felt his heart jump up in an unhealthy fashion as Elie looked at him from his squatted position near the crawlspace. Isaac was ready to attack him when Elie sat up and held his hands up in defense. He picked up Isaac’s flashlight and shone it out of their eyesight.

“What. The. Hell?”

“I should be asking you that. Didn’t even know there was a crawl space here.”

“My luck then.”

“I didn’t see a car in the road--you know, I thought your group was weird, but you guys know more than you let on.”

“And you don’t?”

“I mean, I thought all that stuff about spies were just in movies.”

“Those kinds of spies don’t exist.” Life would be so much more fun if life really was that extreme, but here he was, trying to stealth his way out of here. If Isaac could go out with an explosion, he would.

“My dad didn’t tell me you were told to stay away from the hospital. I wouldn’t have given you the HT if it was serious. At least, I didn’t think it was serious.”

“It isn’t.”

Elie stared at him with curious eyes. “Do you happen to know anything about... children being moved from town to town? Groups of kids.”

Isaac didn’t reply and Elie laughed nervously, expecting as much. He was more abrupt than he meant to be. “This town was a refuge for children with complicated pasts. I mean, that’s how my dad explained it. We never really saw those kids unless they were eating breakfast or sleeping at night. My dad handled... all of that.”

“Who does your dad work for?”

“He’s just an officer now,” Elie shook his head. “He was. He hasn’t done that in years, but I thought that it was all a… false memory. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was real. Those kids are real.”

Isaac wasn’t one of those kids. There were tons of them and if anyone would have remembered this area, it would have been Gabriel. Gabriel hasn’t said anything yet. Isaac relaxed a bit and looked around. He glanced back at Elie who seemed to have a worried expression. “Are you one of those--”

“There are millions, billions of kids who are being rotated through systems in this country. I doubt it,” He replied lightly.

“Well, that means that there’s something going on that ordinary people wouldn’t know,” Elie pointed out.

“So, what? You needed confirmation?”

“Or you just like sneaking around places for fun.”

“I like the latter, Elie. I think you should stick to that story too.”

“...Are you in danger?”

“Who isn’t right now? Have you seen those zombies?”

The look on Elie’s face told Isaac that no, he hasn’t. There really wasn’t a need for anyone to leave this town since they have resources for weeks. Isaac took the flashlight, which Elie had taken up, and gestured to turn around.

“Wait, I can help. But I need you to explain what’s going on.”

“Things get difficult when someone decides to play nice, Elie,” Isaac sighed. “You didn’t see me.”

Elie didn’t let Isaac walk away. Instead, he turned Isaac around, held onto Isaac’s shoulders and stared at him. “I’m not lying.”

“Don’t do that,” Isaac said.

“What?”

“Stoop to my level.”

“Figuratively?”

“No, literally,” Isaac pushed Elie’s chin up with the palm of his hand. He turned around and started walking around the motel. He didn’t wait to see if Elie was walking behind him, but he could hear another set of footsteps on gravel.

“When someone turns their back to you, you don’t take that for granted,” Isaac said when he was sure that Elie was following him. “It’s something they’d teach us if you were bright enough to get it the first time. Or, you learned the hard way.”

“During that... program?” Elie said almost in awe.

“No, during arts and crafts. You never knew which bitch was going to take your crayons without you looking. Did you even go to a grade school?”

Elie didn’t say anything, which was good, because that was as far as Isaac was going to go to humor his suspicions. If Elie wasn’t brimming with questions, then he was probably trying too hard to seem cool. Isaac didn’t see a reason to tell Elie anything. He would just become another bridge to burn before he became a liability. Isaac closed his eyes and nodded his head. If worse came to worse, all he could do was rely on Richard and Kenneth to keep Gabriel out of harm's way. They neared the entrance and walked a little way down the road until the car Isaac borrowed came into view. He unlocked the car and checked the gas.

“Isaac, I might not know what’s going on, but I want to help.”

Isaac placed his hand on the roof of the car. “Elie, you’re a sweet guy. Kind of cheesy. But, there’s a reason why certain people know more and others know less. Right now, we’re pretty much in the same waters and I’m trying to get out of them because I know how to. Kind of. You do not want to know what’s out there, but I do and that why I can’t sit here and be idle. That won’t happen if we play 101 questions.

I’m going to need help making a distraction. If that’ll make you feel like a hero, then, do your thing. But, the last time someone tried to play hero, they got shot.”

Isaac highly doubted that Elie would get shot at in this situation, or anyone in that regard, but he didn’t know why that agent came back bloodied and mysteriously. Isaac threw Elie the keys and walked to the shotgun seat. He sat down and waited. Isaac realized that if Elie really had grown up outside of the agency’s antics, then he was really just a normal guy with an overbearing and blind sense of justice. Isaac looked at Elie as he sat in the car. Isaac drummed his fingers on his leg, sparing Elie a glance.

“We have… a few things we need to do,” Isaac said.

“... what about the bonfire?”

“One step at a time, Elie. I’m just trying to think of which is the first one…” He trailed off. Isaac glanced outside of the window for a moment. That was when a thought occurred to him. He turned around to Elie with the biggest grin on his face.

“Got it. Where’s the nearest gas station?”


	13. Concentrate

They were back at the bonfire and carrying snack half an hour later. Gabriel didn't appreciate Isaac wandering, but he didn't have much else to say with Elie by his side. He was so buzzed up from the adrenaline of running around at night that he brought all that energy to the bonfire. If there was anything that Isaac could do best, it was bring life to a party.

Feedback from the handheld transceiver woke Isaac up. It was an old habit of his, to put his phone next to his pillow because he wouldn't be able to wake up to an alarm otherwise. He regretted the unconscious action because his body felt heavy and his eyes refused to open. But when he realized that it was it was Gabriel who was speaking on the device, he searched blindly for the response button.

"Are you awake?"

"What do you think?"

"I mean, are you really awake?"

Isaac almost thought that he was in a dream, but the other voices brought him back into reality. He sighed and muted it, even going as far as throwing it across the room and onto the other bed. He opened his eyes and stared at the wall. The window was closed, but the curtains glowed an orange-like light from the rays that hit it. Isaac laid there for a moment. He couldn't bask in it. He couldn't enjoy it. He just sat there. He simply existed. That's what he wanted to believe. That he just existed apart from everything else that went around him. He breathed in and breathed out and with each subsequent breath, he realized that everything attached to him was still moving, would still happen. Things would happen, whether or not he got up. He sat up and looked at the curtains. His feet padded inaudibly on the carpet floor as he stopped before the curtains. He opened them, but with caution and with thought. It wasn't as dramatic and festive as he wanted it to be, but he didn't want to be either of those at this moment. He unhooked the latch keeping the window closed and pushed the window outside.

He turned around and tried to see if anything had changed. If what he wanted to happen happened. It didn't. A cool breeze flew in and he suddenly realized that he was warm. He walked over to the landline and picked up the phone. He stared at the dial pad for a moment, tapping his pointer-finger on his thigh for a moment before he placed the phone on the receiver and picked up the handheld transceiver. When he unmuted it, he called Gabriel over. Isaac was clear-headed, clean, and decent by the Gabriel walked in. The door closed behind him and he walked into the kitchen area, placing his hands on the island. Isaac closed the door and quickly began fixing himself a glass of orange juice.

"Want some?"

Isaac could hear everyone speaking over the device and it annoyed him. Gabriel pursed his lips. "You missed lunch."

"Wow, I needed a lot of beauty sleep," Isaac joked, tapping the glass. He leaned on his elbow stared at the table for a moment. Gabriel stared at his face and leaned over the table, waiting for Isaac to continue to talk. Isaac was trying to drown out the background noise coming from Gabriel's device.

"How's Kenneth?"

"Pushing through. I don't know if I can say the same about you."

"Yeah, well he actually cares about getting a rep in right now. Stitches or not," Isaac said as he slumped onto the table, putting the glass in front of himself. He couldn't see past the orange juice and his head would hurt when he strained his eyes too much. He stared directly at the orange juice and then closed his eyes. He leaned on his arm and shifted the cup into his other hand. His hair spilled over his forearm and onto the table, eyes still closed.

"How's Ansley?"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Issac set the glass aside and looked at Gabriel as if he was the odd one.

"You've been hanging around with Elie a lot and I rarely see you."

"When are you not at the hospital?" Isaac mumbled. Gabriel seemed to take it as a good point because he stared at Isaac apologetically.

"... Gabe," Isaac sighed. "do you want to talk to Alessa?"

"Yeah, wow, I totally--" Gabriel seemed more animated at the mention of her name.

"Forgot," Isaac nodded in understanding. He sat up and waved for Gabriel to follow him as he walked to the landline. He didn't dial in Alessa's number, though. Gabriel sat across from him and eyed him, not understanding what was going on. He took the phone from Isaac and dialed in the last number he remembered. When it didn't go through, he looked at Isaac.

"Can I be selfish for the nth time?" Isaac asked, but he didn't wait for Gabriel to respond. "Ansley wasn't supposed to happen and I was stupid for not noticing Kenneth. I'm not saying you shouldn't care about her and that it was a mistake that you met him. I'm saying that I would've preferred the story without them. And without Richard."

Gabriel didn't frown. Instead, he looked at Isaac with worry, but dissatisfaction was present in his body and his eyes. Of course, they wouldn't meet eye-to-eye, but Gabriel didn't know why Isaac was bringing this up. "Where is this going?"

"We," Isaac pointed between themselves, "wanted to see her. Because we need to see Alessa, remember?"

"I know we do."

"And what about Mom and Dad? Don't you want to see them?"

"... I wasn't just worried about Ashton, Isaac. But I assumed the worst like you did since you never spoke about them. Not until now—"

"That's because we don't understand what's going on. We don't know if Richard and Kenneth are as clueless as we are either."

There was still noise coming from the device. Something different must have been happening since Gabriel stared at it, but Isaac wouldn't give him the chance to ignore what he had to say.

"Richard hasn't spoken to his father since we left, remember? Kenneth's parents aren't even in the same country, let alone—"

"That's not what I'm worried about. As much as everything is about Richard—" Isaac cursed. "Gabe, why would I.D.A. go after Alessa? Her mom? What if Mom and Dad didn't get in those buses? What if the same trap was set up at our house?"

"Stop—"

"If we do go with Alessa, would you rather sit down and let everything blow over? Gabe, they tried to kill her. Alessa isn't just going to sit down--"

Gabriel had already gotten up at that point and was making his way around to the door, but Isaac walked around him and blocked his path.

"Ashton would have died if he hadn't gone on the trip," Isaac's voice raised, "Alessa is not going to let someone point a gun at her and get away with it. Even if we go with her, there's no way that she isn't going to have us poke our head somewhere it doesn't belong."

Isaac wanted against all odds for Gabriel to agree with him, to be tough about it and admit that he wanted to find something. He wanted Gabriel to tell him that it would be dangerous, but that he would stay beside him. He wanted his brother to be with him and if it wasn't safe he sure as hell would make it that way. But, he couldn't just stay here and pretend that nothing was going on. Gabriel looked at him with a sullen face and shook his head. "That's what I was planning to avoid."

Isaac didn't follow Gabriel to the door. He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. He waited for the door to close, but suddenly, Gabriel stopped when he bumped into Elie, who was just about to stop at the door. Elie caught a look on Gabriel's face but didn't get the chance to say anything as he held the door open and stared at Isaac.

"Why are you just standing there?"

Elie looked as if he had something to say, but kept it to himself. He walked into the living room and searched for something. He eventually picked an object up and showed it to Isaac. "Why did you mute it?"

"We were talking. Would've been rude," Isaac responded lamely. He took it back and set the volume low.

"A flood of people suddenly showed up at the hospital."

"So," Isaac said, more so than he asked and sat on the bed.

"Dr. Mott told me to keep you away from it. Says you have a streak for running away."

"How does it feel to be in on a secret?" Isaac smiled.

"How do you manage to--"

"Wish you were there at the Alpha party."

"What does a frat—?"

"It wasn't a frat party. A wolf got into the Darryl Wallace's backyard during his senior party. Someone called police on it. Then, animal control came. Then, his parents had to come back into town. The party was trashed," Isaac shrugged.

"But it gave Wallace mega popularity points. A couple of garbage bags and squats can go a long way. I did it," Isaac laughed, "Somehow."

Isaac picked up a duffle bag and began to pack into it. "I miss the days where that kind of stuff mattered."

He looked towards Elie. "Word of advice, Elie, when things get quiet again, I think you should ask your dad a few questions."

"Yeah..." Elie watched Isaac pack more things. Isaac sat up straighter and sighed, his face scrunched up into thought. He muttered a curse under his breath as he hurried around in search of something.

"Looking for something?"  
"Don't worry about it," Isaac sat up and shook his head. He looked around the room and realized that it wasn't messy. He figured he was too tired to know where he had put his keys last night.

"I have one more favor that I need to ask you—" Isaac turned around. "When you do understand what's going on, you need to turn this place into a safe haven."

Isaac didn't meet Elie's eyes. He spun around a fancy ornament that sat on the kitchen counter before placing it back down. Elie presses something blunt against his skin, so Isaac turns around. Isaac took the phone and set it on the counter.

"Thanks."

"How will I—"

"You've gotta stick it to the man," Isaac said, patting Elie's arm. He began walking and talking. "You don't have to worry too much about how it'll all fall together. People are going to love it. Especially Gabe... Just leave me in the fine print of the trademark."

"Is that all?"

"Is the generator timed?"

"They can be turned on and off manually. There's a bit of a warm-up, though. At least five minutes."

Isaac nodded. "Meet me outside tomorrow at 5 PM. Also, I need a favor from Jay."

Elie nodded and gazed at him with a confused look. "Why do you need those?"

"All will be explained," Isaac said in a mysterious voice. He opened the door now and ushered Elie outside.

"Now, if you don't mind. I feel like shit."

Elie held the door. "Why didn't you just say so?"

Isaac stared at his hand, which held the door open. He looked at Elie and gave him a tired smile. "Night Elie."

 

Richard knocked on his door the next morning.

"What?" Isaac asked, dazed. He swore he could still taste charred marshmallow in his mouth from last night despite how much brushing he did. He had been out looking for another way to escape because as good as a guy like Elie could get, Isaac was equally suspicious. He eventually found himself creating a small fire at the golf course, not too far from where the bonfire was. He placed the rest of the bag next to the burnt grass and came back to his room for the night.

The knocking persisted. Normally, he wouldn't answer the door until he'd gotten to dress up, but nothing was exactly normal as of the moment. To prove that point, Elie suddenly looked like Richard. He looked up at Richard and squinted. He had gotten up too fast, so he held his head as he tried his best to glare at Richard. He was now half annoyed that he had chosen to answer the door before washing his face and that Richard was standing too close, so he would have to crane his neck. Isaac rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Right, last rotation."

Isaac looked at Richard's bag groggily. Does it matter at this point? He started to close the door.

"What if I don't want you in here?"

Richard walked in any way and Isaac begrudgingly.

"What do you have to tell me?"

He sounded horrible. He knew that he looked horrible. He could feel his tousled hair tickling his ears, neck, and forehead. He tried brushing them back the best he could with just his hand, but quickly accepted that they would stick up on end until he did something about it. He hugged himself and held his hand up, stopping Richard before he could say anything, grabbing some clothes, and headed for the bathroom. It was until the crust was out his eyes and his pale shoulders were tinted pink that he stopped lazily rubbing the loofah on his now raw stomach. When he left the bathroom, steam flew outside of the room. Richard was sitting on a coach and Isaac, for once, just stood.

"You don't look like someone eager to leave."

Richard pointed to the bag on the couch beside him. Isaac forcefully opened up the bag and shoved something else inside. Richard held on to his forearm and Isaac stumbled tiredly in front of him as he was pulled back. He sighed when Richard pressed his forehead against his and held his waist lightly. Isaac lifted his arms to Richard's shoulders, but kept them there and still.

"You're stressed."

"I'm just tired."

Richard brought his hand up to face and smoothed out under his eyes. Isaac grew worried that he had gotten bags. Richard moved to his neck and pressed against a spot that felt tight. He pressed his hands against Isaac's shoulders, which resisted, unconsciously bunching up and into himself. Then, he brought his hand to Isaac's lower back and pressed against it. Isaac could feel tension were Richard pressed particularly hard. Richard was about to move to Isaac's legs, but Isaac stopped him.

"You're awfully responsive."

Isaac realized that he had placed his hands around Richard's neck, playing with his nails. He stopped picking at his nails nervously and pulled back.

"I get it."

"I thought that I might keep you company," Richard started and sat up. "But I'd rather not ruin your flow."

Isaac wanted to protest, but he figured that Richard was right. He was on a flow. The tension wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It made him calmer than he usually was, though he was slower.

"Stop reminding me," he muttered.

He grabbed his jacket and head towards the door. "I don't know where the key is. Don't lock yourself out."

Isaac was socializing with others when he wasn't running his errands, mostly through the handheld transceiver. He was nearly banned from using the device when he decided to pipe down and focus on wandering the woods. He found a river at the other end and as he scaled the area, he quickly realized that there was no way that he could walk across it. He would have to walk parallel along its path until he reached the road again. When 5 PM rolled around, Isaac was making his way back to the villas. He walked up to Elie who was talking to Henry at the receptionist desk. Henry was in another one of his leisure time outfits. Swim shorts.

"You're not cold?"

"I grew up in Canada, Isaac. I'm fine. The sun's out today. Perfect for sunbathing."

Isaac waved to Henry who made his way to the elevator.

"Do I feel sorry for anyone gazing at the patio?"

"I do."

Isaac decided he did too.

They laughed about it for a moment and Isaac was so amused that he didn't notice Elie's gaze. Isaac continued to smile, but he questioned whether or not something was on his face in his head.

"You seem better."

"Oh, yeah, I was one with the trees and in sync with the wind. I feel a lot better."

They didn't waste time getting into Elie's car and making their way to the golf course. Isaac walked out into the field and tried to get a sense of the area. On feet, he wouldn't be able to make it to the clearing in five minutes, but he should be far enough that people won't see his figure in the night. They walked from the side of the course until they reached the trees. He decided to show Elie the spot he had marked.

"I'm going to need you to do two things: turn off the generator and send a warning."

"You want me to put the generator off?"

"Yeah, I'll get everyone gathered here for another bonfire. It'll be a crappy alibi," He admitted, "But before anyone gets here. They'll think I ran off when everyone else did. At least, everyone who doesn't suspect anything going on."

He looked at the open pack of marshmallows, sitting on the burned grass and only tapped it with his foot gently. Bugs moved over and outside the bag.

"Then, you have to meet me here. I'll leave my walkie-talkie so that someone else can run here and get it. When you come and see that it's gone, just move to the next step. All you have to do is tell them when the warning sign has disappeared. But make sure you're referring to me."

"Who are you talking about?"

"I need you to focus and ask fewer questions. Nothing will happen to anyone. I'll be gone in a matter of moments."

Isaac looked around, then back towards the buildings.

"Right now, all I need you to do is remember those steps. And check in with Jay. Hopefully, the signals will be done by tomorrow night."

"This... is a lot."

"I'll be out of your hair soon. I promise. So, tell me you'll keep quiet."

"Yeah."

"Good. I don't need you caving under the pressure."

Just as quickly as they got there, they left. Elie had dropped Isaac off at the villa entrance. He wasn't sure if Henry was still outside, but he avoided looking at the patio anyway. When he reached his door, he noticed that it was slightly ajar. He sighed. If that was how Richard thought of solving the missing key situation, then he was honestly disappointed.

Isaac cautiously looked around to make sure that no one would sneak up on him. He bit the inside of his lips to stop himself from smiling like a madman. As soon as the door closed, however, he realized that there was a familiar scent of male hygiene products. He looked towards the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar. It opened and Richard stepped out, thankfully fully clothed. Suddenly, his mind began to race about Richard's offer. Should he sleep with him? What if that gave off that he was leaving soon? What if it seemed desperate? Did Elie cave? Why now? These thoughts left as soon as they came because he resorted to the easiest way of coping with tough situations.

"Aw, did you wait up for me?" He teased.

"You're assuming I had nothing better to do."

"Did you?" Isaac asked. He put his jacket down on a couch and walked towards Richard.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Do you like picking fights with me?"

You use every opportunity to dig something up.

"Hey, I was just asking a question," Isaac shrugged, innocently.

"Nothing is as you present it to be."

"I can be more direct," Isaac said matter-of-factly. He pulled Richard down for a kiss. Or, no thought could go into, Isaac thought. That was a much better idea. Much to his delight, Richard had no interest in being sweet about it. He reached around the wall until he felt the light switch and flipped it off.


	14. Echoes

Isaac found himself back at the RV. He stretched his body upwards and flinched, pressing his back vainly and pouting. His hand thumped on the metal roof as he placed his arms by his side. The dented up thing was still in good shape, but it sat there miserably around the corner of the hospital, under a map of branches from a group of evergreen trees. He climbed on it and sat on the roof, meddling with the phone in his hand. He had been waiting for hours for it to ring again, but all he heard was the noises of panicked patients and the relieved chatter of newfound survivors. Those who weren't injured sat in the parking lot, on cars and around them. It was when someone started yelling about government conspiracies and the last days of humanity as they all knew it, that Isaac's phone rang. He quickly answered the call.

"Why am I here? I thought we'd start the fire by 9."

"Change of plans. We need something to go on and right now we might be running on a thin line until our next concrete lead. We don't know who is coming to get her, if anyone. So, we'll take our chances."

Isaac sighed and looked up the building. There was no way he would get in there without someone nagging him. Isaac looked down at the roof. Suddenly, the thought of being nagged at was something he preferred over any alternatives. He stretched, keeping his eyes on a green vest.

"I've found our guy," He said, watching the man gaze in his direction before walking into his blind spot and disappearing into the hospital.

"Just wait when your car starts up."

Isaac tapped on the roof of the van again as he left the receiver on his cheek. Neither of them made any noise as they waited for the man in the green vest to come back outside. Isaac closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He waited those next thirty minutes with bated breath. The man with the green vest never came out again, but Isaac heard a car engine rev to life. He got down and waited under the tree for the car to roll up. As soon as he got into the driver's seat, Isaac began to mentally check off his list. A car suddenly passed in front of them.

"So, they can pass straight through?"

"Yeah, Nathan's posted there right now."

Isaac sighed dramatically and pulled his legs up, placing them on the dashboard as he meddled with a game the previous owner had installed. Elie didn't stop driving until he made it to the parking lot of the golf course. Isaac hopped out of the car and grabbed a flashlight that he swung in the air. It eventually landed on to the items in the trunk. Bit after bit, piles of rocks where placed in a contained circle, then twigs, leaves, and scrapped log wood that survived the bonfire from two nights ago. He watched as everything went into the hole He saw that the wood for the bonfire had been propped up properly. When he walked back to the trunk, he began pulling out the cooler, which Elie quickly grab hold of and helped hoist onto the dry ground. Isaac took out a match and struck it against the strike pad. He watched the small flame engulf the phorusus before throwing it into the bed of leaves and charred wood.

"You really out did yourself, Isaac. I'm impressed," Jay said. He stood back.  
"Thanks," Isaac said as he watched the flame engulf its feed, "I like to outdo the competition."

Lory scoffed. "We can totally outdo this."

"We'll pick teams and..." Jay went on a rant about how they could put together a bonfire contest and Lory joined in with the idea to. He stared at them with a feeling of unfamiliarity and disinterest. There was little keeping him connected to these people. He wondered if it looked like the start of a blossoming relationship between them all, but if Isaac saw the world in that way, he would be gullible. He ignored their loud conversations, opting to stand on the other side of the bonfire where people hadn't had the chance to sit yet. Isaac realized that the more he stared at the flame, nothing happened. His eyes didn't burn. So, he continued to stare. The fire crackled and popped, sending embers flying onto the rocks, and the flames licked the edges of the barrier of the rocks since it had already engulfed all of its wood and leaves.

"Hey, don't you think the smoke's getting to high?" Someone pointed out, worriedly. Isaac's eyes followed the flames path to where it turned into grey smoke and disappeared in slithering wisps of air. He smiled and walked back to the car.

"Are you scared that you can't beat my masterpiece?"

He ignored the responses he got and reached back into the car. Elie walked around him and got in the car, driving off. Elie kept his transceiver muted as he rolled away. He up and ran up to Jay.

"Elie forgot something... Did you finish the project?"

"Oh, yeah..." Jay pointed behind him, inviting Isaac to follow, "but why do you need smoke bombs?" Jay ran to a rolled up piece mat and unfolded it. There were four columns at least five feet high that Jay picked up. Everyone helped set up them up, placing them into holes that were at least a foot deep.

"Because we're going to play a game of tag."

Everyone quieted down, trying to hear what Isaac had to say.

"There are four colors: red, green, blue, yellow."

The green and blue columns were the same height. "Green and blue are for teams. They also represent how long it'll take for the bonfire to run out. Everyone in each team has to make it back to their column before it runs out. Flashlights are game then."

"How long will that take?" Someone chimed in.

"Jay?"

"Oh, uh, maybe half an hour. Maybe less?"

Isaac nodded. The yellow column was shorter than both the green and blue. "The yellow smoke is a warning. When it runs out, there are only three minutes left."

The red column was taller than yellow. "This is the last warning timer. When it runs out. The game is over."

"This is pretty elaborate," Jay said.

"You know it," Isaac winked. "Alright! Pick your teams."

He gave them four people matches and waited until everyone was done picking their teams. Each person struck the match on the pad and protected the flame.

"No more wasting time! Light them up! And on my count..."

Isaac smiled as he watched Lory start counting and everyone else followed her lead. He stopped and walked around the bonfire, watching the columns start smoking. He brought his transceiver up to his mouth. "And now... lights off."

Isaac watched the smoke disappear as everyone was shrouded in darkness except for the light that the bonfire gave off. He stood on the other side on the bonfire and waited for the chaos to ensue before he started running off towards the woods. He counted in his head how long it would take before Elie put the generator back on.

"Start!"

Everyone was surprised that he had gotten so far, but they were all busy trying to run their separate ways. He waited for the lights to turn back on before he dropped to the ground and began looking for the marking he'd left on the ground. He stepped on the bag of marshmallows he'd left out. They were covered by ants on the inside, which Isaac tried to ignore as he walked around a tree and pulled at a bag which hung around a low branch. He changed into all black and hoisted the bag onto his shoulders.

His transceiver was gone. He looked behind himself and turned around to look at the colors in the sky. He climbed up a tree with difficulty, but he made it up to a branch that would give him visibility of the course. It was quiet now as everyone tried racing to the columns. He paid attention to the red and yellow ones. The smoke now blew in a different direction. He would have to run in the opposite direction. He was almost ready to get down when he heard the shuffling of footsteps. Isaac stopped when he heard the footsteps approach the clearing he had entered.

"Isaac?" Elie called out to him. Isaac stayed put, absolutely still if he could describe the feeling of cramping in his legs and wrist. Elie looked up into the trees and walked around a bit more. It annoyed him, but he also sympathized with the guy. He looked back at the yellow column. Two minutes must have gone by the time Elie decided to run and look for him elsewhere.

"Just stick to the plan..." Isaac sighed. He was sure Elie would figure it out as well.

He decided to wait another few minutes before getting down and running towards his next destination. He pulled his hoodie over his head and switched his flashlight on. He barely avoided trees as he went barrelling towards them, but the closer he got to the river, the more he realized that this was the only way around. It was a calm river, but there were no boulders or rocks to step on to get across it. He huffed and stopped for a moment before he stepped on a rock and climbed another tree to see the smoke. He needed to hurry. He quickly found the clearing and entered onto the rocks on the rock bed. He thought that the next step he took was the wrong one, but hands don't jump out of rivers.

"Fuck!" He couldn't say much more as he was dragged under the bridge. He expected for his head to hit the rocks, but a warm hand cushioned his head, his hoodie had fallen off. The other person's hand covered his mouth. He opened his eyes and met those familiar green ones.

"You're as persistent as fucking ever, Richard," Isaac shoved at him, but Richard didn't budge.

"How the hell—"

"Gabriel told me you made a phone call. Took some information down. Turns out he hid it."

Isaac frowned as he tried to understand what Richard was going on about. He looked at Richard with understanding. Gabriel took the key so that he could sneak back in and figure out what was going on. Isaac struggled to yell for Gabriel, but it was in vain.

"He won't be here for a while."

The mention of Gabriel made Isaac more alert. He almost wanted to turn around and find Gabriel demanding that he'd stop acting irrationally. To convince Alessa to stay.

"Where's the woman?"

Isaac smiled. "Oh, so she's important?"

"She was. I don't think she's that important without this."

Richard pulled out what seemed to be a flash drive. Isaac immediately tried to lunge for it, but Richard gave him a dull look and kept it out of Isaac's reach. He kept Isaac trapped underneath him.

"You're always scheming."

Isaac wrapped his arms around Richard's neck. "You can't get enough of me."

Richard smirked and it almost made Isaac want to kick him in the place he's most familiar with. Isaac frowned when Richard pressed his head back to the jagged rock Isaac held behind him. He squeezed Isaac's hand as if demanding that it be let go. Isaac rolled his eyes and released it. The rock's impact was loud as it chipped some and rolled to a stop.

"Stop following me."

"I let you leave, Isaac."

Isaac scoffed. He didn't have time for this. There was no way that he could tell if the smoke had stopped this far from the course, but he had reason to believe that it would take him a few minutes to find the car. These were those few minutes he thought bitterly.

Richard sighed and sat up. Isaac quickly followed him and stood up. He stepped back and watched as Richard pulled something out from his pocket and held it out to Isaac. Isaac unraveled the piece of paper before looking up and staring at the Richard. Isaac crumbled the paper in his hands and he met Richard's eyes, just as moss green as ever, maybe darker.

"Don't you think I would have done that ages ago?" Isaac frowned. Always bringing the past up. Always trying to win him over. And why did Richard always make an appearance whenever he's tried to establish parting ways. It irritated him so, yet all Isaac could do was smile. Then, he couldn't hold in his laughter anymore.

"I don't need to make a deal with you. I don't need to help you at all."

"But it'll get you somewhere if you're trying to find who went after Alessa," Richard said matter-of-factly. "And you're the only one who sees it that way. A deal. Since it's a competition, I'll give you a headstart. I've already told everyone where we are." Richard threw the flash drive into the water. Isaac almost ran for it, but he'd only managed to lose his balance again on a loose rock. Someone else caught him around his waist and pulled him back onto his feet.

"No wonder you were taking so long. Why haven't you killed him already? It's the best repellent," A woman spoke from behind him.

"Your friend says yellow's gone out," She whispered in his ear. Her voice was muffled, but he immediately recognized her voice and the comfortable height she shared with him and some. She had gotten Elie's warning, but Isaac didn't think it mattered anymore. Richard was a step ahead of them. He stared at the gun being pointed at Richard, which didn't calm his nerves. Richard didn't look fearful, however. He looked annoyed. His gaze quickly fell on Isaac, expectant of his compliance, but otherwise held his hands up in surrender.

"Aw, Alessa... That wouldn't be fun," Isaac held his hand up. He turned to Richard and started laughing, loudly and joyfully. "This was pretty fun." Isaac smiled.

"I never thought that I could be so angry and happy at the same time."

Richard's expression didn't change, but Isaac didn't need him to respond. He needed him to listen.

"We'll be fine without the drive. But if you're going to catch me, you have to promise to keep things interesting, okay?"

Isaac and Alessa quickly backed up, facing Richard. It was out of protection, but Isaac realized that Richard was likely without arms. There was no reason for Richard to keep him here when all he'd try to do is run away.

"And tell Gabe that I fucking love him," Isaac shouted, his hands circled around his mouth, "Make sure you include the echoes."

When Richard disappeared from sight, they began to run across the bridge and to the other side of the river. That was when they could hear other cars coming down the road and loud voices. They made their way into the trees. Isaac stopped and took the paper out.

"What? What does that say?"

He glanced back to where Richard had held him under the bridge. He couldn't see if he was still there. Isaac ducked down and picked up a rock, wrapping the paper around it. He hesitated for a moment and stared at the water below. Then, he lifted it and threw it into the water. He knew the paper would dampen and wither apart, but he didn't feel everything attached to it drown. He wondered if he should have kept it and burned it instead.

"Hello?" She leaned down in front of him and he realized that only her brown eyes were peeking out from the mask she wore. He blinked and shook his head.

"Nothing," Isaac pulled his hoodie back up to hide his frown and deep confusion. It was quickly replaced by a smile.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Hmm? Oh," Isaac smiled widely at her. "I'm never bored with him."

She paused and looked away. "Can't beat that..."

"What's up?" Isaac turned to her. He hadn't picked up her comment.

"Is there anything useful that he's actually told you?"

"Yeah, actually," Isaac took a breath and allowed her to guide him to the car, "we need to pay Dr. Soltra's replacement a visit."

"They weren't on the records I found."

"That's where we come in," Isaac stared at her with a tired expression, the look of someone who knew there was a long journey ahead of them. He waited patiently as she pulled the agent out of the car and laid her at the clearing. She ended up being worthless and he couldn't find it in himself to be angry, not with everything else he had to look forward to.

He hopped into the passenger seat and left the door open for Alessa, who quickly jumped in. The man sitting up in front hadn't taken the chance to speak up, but when Isaac met his gaze, Isaac realized that he was nervous. Isaac was about to speak when Alessa got inside and closed the door. She tapped the driver's seat.

"We'll need a couple of miles, Geo."

"Right," He stammered, putting the car into drive.

Isaac watched her put the safety onto her gun and toss it on the passenger seat beside this new Geo guy. She pulled her hoodie off, long brown hair spilling from its confines as she complained about Richard being annoying. She turned and smiled at Isaac. The small mark under her chin seemed to smile at him too. He put his hand to her chin and gently rubbed the scar.

"What?"

"You're alive."

"And you look kind of flabby. Seems like you let yourself go," She squeezed his arm.

"Bitch," Isaac chuckled briefly and moved his arm back to his side and smiled at her. Alessa ruffled his hair some and put her head on his shoulder. Isaac let her interlace their hands and he almost wanted to point out that her nails looked a lot better than his. He gazed at their hands for a moment and Alessa squeezed it reassuringly. Isaac wanted this moment of weakness, to tell Alessa that he was tired, that he wanted to get back to Gabriel soon, that he was sorry about Ashton, but his eyes flicked back to Geo at the front who was staring at them.

Isaac laid back and kept his eyes peering outside and was once again reminded that he was far from home from the snow on leaves to the unfamiliar sights. All that soothed him was the memory of the flame miles back. His eyes drifted from the forest to the never-ending asphalt and suddenly, he realized that he wasn't tense. He was wary of the road ahead of him. The asphalt would crack. The trees would die. And the skies would change. It was that ever burning flame in his mind that kept him calm, even as snow peaked bushes became green.


End file.
